


The Imprint or The Blood Singer?

by jimblejamblewrite



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 43,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27527614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimblejamblewrite/pseuds/jimblejamblewrite
Summary: Maisie Black. All about La Push. Shy girl unless you get to know her. Not one to make friends easily despite the fact that she very well could. Friends with her brother’s friends until one Bella Swan comes back to town. Soon, Maisie starts to learn the world around her is more than what it seems and love triangles aren't just in the books she reads.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Edward Cullen/Original Female Character(s), Embry Call/Original Female Character(s), Jacob Black/Bella Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

“Dad, what makes you think Bella remembers us? She hasn’t been back to Forks in who knows how many years now,” Maisie said from the back of the beat-up, burnt orange pickup truck. 

Billy wasn’t her real dad but her uncle. Her dad’s brother. Both Maisie's parents died before her first birthday, the only family she knew was Billy, Jacob, Rebecca, and Rachel, and Sarah when she was alive. Maisie always knew them as her parents and siblings. 

Jacob finally pulled up to the Swan’s house, parking the car next to Charlie’s cruiser. He helped their father get into his wheelchair while Maisie rang the doorbell. Charlie gave the young girl a hug as soon as he opened the door. 

“Hey, Uncle Charlie.” 

“How are my favorite kids doing?”

“Just great Charlie,” Jacob responded as he pushed Billy towards the house. Maisie and Jacob both stopped calling Charlie 'Chief Swan' when they were about nine. He hung out with Billy so often that he became like family. 

“Bella, you remember Billy Black.”

“Yeah, looking good.” Bella shook Billy's hand. Maisie knew she didn’t remember a thing but it was nice of her to try. 

“Eh, I’m still dancing. Glad you’re finally here. Charlie hasn’t stopped talking about you coming.”

“Keep it up and I’ll roll you into the mud.” Charlie rolled his eyes. 

“Not before I ram you in the ankles.” The three kids watched Billy and Charlie mess around in the street. 

“Are they always like this?” Bella asked as she moved closer to Maisie and Jake. 

“Mmm, pretty much,” Maisie answered as she stood behind her brother. 

“It gets worse with old age,” Jacob finished his sister's sentence. “I’m Jacob.”

“Maisie.”

Bella shook both their hands before seeming like she genuinely remembered something. “Right, the wonder twins! We used to make mud pies together didn’t we?”

“Yeah, always tried to get Jake to eat them.” Maisie laughed with her. 

“So what do you think Bella?” Charlie motioned towards the truck as he came jogging back up the driveway. 

Maisie smiled when she looked genuinely excited. At least someone would show the truck some loving, it was just sitting in the garage collecting dust at the Black house. Jacob showed her how to work the truck while Maisie hung out the window watching the two of them. Bella seemed disappointed at the news she and Jacob went to school on the reservation. Maisie wasn't one to put herself out there but Bella looked like she was more shy than her. 

“Tell you what. Monday and Wednesday lunch runs long on the res. I’ll come down and eat lunch with you. Or at least till you get comfortable at Forks,” Maisie said. 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

* * *

Maisie signed into the front office and put the visitor sticker on the front of her shirt. Bella smiled when Maisie met her by her locker. 

“Looks like you’re surviving.”

“Just barely. I think I gave a kid a concussion in P.E.” 

Maisie laughed as she walked with Bella into the cafeteria. Looking at the lunch line, she realized the food on the res might be better; but for her friend’s sake she could put up with it twice a week. Maisie and Bella sat down at a table with a group of kids that called her over. 

“Hey, Bella and… new new kid? I didn’t hear about us getting another new kid.”

“I’m Maisie Black, I actually go to school on the res.” 

Figures none of them really knew her. Forks may be small but sometimes it was like the reservation was a whole different world. Maisie knew more adults in Forks than kids her own age. 

“I hope you guys don’t mind. She agreed to come for lunch until I was settled in,” Bella mumbled into her salad. 

“Oh, not at all. I’m Angela.” The girl who sat across from her stuck out a hand. 

Everyone else slowly introduced themselves and Maisie went back to eating her food, not comfortable enough to make conversation. She only looked up when Bella asked about a group of kids. 

“The Cullens. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen’s foster kids.”

That name was one she heard occasionally around the res. Cullen. A family her dad didn’t like but she wasn’t completely sure why. All she knew was the saying around La Push: _**the Cullens don’t come here**_. Maisie couldn’t deny that they were all very attractive looking. It was almost like she was entranced just looking at them. 

“They’re all like together,” Jessica continued. “Rosalie, the blonde one, yeah she’s with the big one, Emmett. Like a thing.”

“Jess, they’re not actually related,” Angela quickly interjected.

“Yeah I know, but it’s still kinda weird don’t you think? Anyway, the small dark-haired girl Alice is with Jasper. He’s the one that always looks like he’s in pain.”

“Dr. Cullen’s like this foster dad matchmaker.” 

“Maybe, he’ll adopt me,” Angela said. 

Maisie snickered at her comment. If Dr. Cullen was such a matchmaker, maybe she’d have to set up an appointment with him. 

“What about him?” Bella asked.

“Edward? Totally hot, supposedly single. No one here seems good enough for him. Like I care, don’t waste your time.” 

Maisie could feel a bit of resentment in Jessica’s voice. Something told her, Edward probably rejected her. And from the way Jessica sounded, it wasn’t the nicest rejection. Maisie could’ve sworn she saw Edward smile at Jessica's words but it was probably just something his siblings said. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Bella said. 

Maisie noticed her looking off and followed her gaze only to see Bella looking at Edward’s table. He was looking at her, he looked at her confused. Both Maisie and Bella snapped their heads back to Bella's friends in front of them. 

“Well, it was nice to meet everyone. I’ll see you again on Wednesday, Bella, but I should probably start heading back to the res.” 

Maisie waved a small goodbye to them and started to head towards the door in the back of the cafeteria that led outside. Carrying her tray, she stopped at the garbage can that was by the door. It was also by the Cullens’ table. At first, none of them paid her any mind but as she got close enough to actually throw away her trash, she noticed Edward flinch out of the corner of her eye. 

Even though Maisie didn’t look, she could feel all the siblings eyes on her. Edward very suddenly and stiffly stood up from his seat. Maisie finished throwing away her stuff and made her way towards the door. Both she and Edward reached the door at the same time, her hand accidentally touching his as she placed it on the door. 

“Sorry,” she said, pulling away. 

Edward did nothing but look at Maisie with a very blank stare. He held out his hand, motioning for her to leave first. She exited the door and answered her cell phone that started to ring. Maisie held the door open for Edward but he gave a pained smile and shook his head. He must’ve changed his mind about leaving. 

“Yeah, Jake I’m coming. Lunch isn’t even halfway over yet. Don’t get your panties in a twist dude, I won’t make you late for dad’s appointment,” Maisie said as she let the door swing close behind her. 

Edward sat back down at the table with his siblings. He and the other Cullens watched the girl walk off as she talked to her brother. They all knew what just happened to him. 

“Oh my God Jake I’ll buy you five sandwiches if you stop complaining. Dad, tell your son to shut up.”

Edward chuckled as Maisie's voice completely disappeared, her thoughts were comical. His head snapped to Alice in the middle of a vision. He didn’t like what he saw. It wasn’t Maisie happy it was her looking at him, scared or hurt. He couldn’t tell. Edward focused his attention back to the girl she was sitting with, the one that was like a puzzle to him. The one who intrigued him. The girl whose mind he somehow couldn’t read. 

* * *

“I told you we wouldn’t be late.” Maisie smiled as Jacob parked in the school parking lot. 

“Hmm, I know,” he said, mouth full of bread. “I just wanted you to buy me a sandwich.” 

Maisie shoved her brother and headed back inside the building. Embry sat in the empty seat next to her in art class. The class project was to draw their partner. While Maisie was relatively good at art, Embry was terrible at it. Maisie made fun of him after he turned it to show his progress. It was all in good fun though, Embry was her best friend after her brother. 

“I particularly love how you made my right eye bigger than my left.”

“Well let’s see how wel— okay, so it’s actually pretty good,” Embry muttered when she turned her sketch of him around. 

“I’m sure it will look better once you paint it.”

“Yeah, totally.” Embry said over confidently. 

Maisie laughed openly before covering her mouth, suddenly aware that they were still in school. For some reason it was hard for her to open up. Jacob did it so naturally that most of the friends Maisie made were just his. She was grateful her brother didn’t try to push her away when she tagged along but instead him and all his friends welcomed her in. 

“Are you and Jake still coming over for UFC Night? Seth and I have been dying for a rematch.”

“You mean you’re dying for Jake and I to kick your butts again.”

“It’s only cause Seth’s too afraid of hurting you. You know you’re a girl, you’ve got—” Embry vaguely gestured to his chest. 

“Okay, whatever you two tell yourselves.” 

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to rumble?! In our left corner, standing at a proud five-nine we have the reigning champion Jacob Black. And on our right, a mere inch taller, our lightweight come to steal the throne, Embry Call.” 

Maisie stood on the couch yelling like an announcer at an MMA match. The kids had pushed all the couches in Embry’s living room into the corners and turned the carpet into a wrestling ring. After the actual competition ended, they always threw their own version. Although, they were very careful not to throw real punches or kicks. Nothing that would cause damage. Just lots of light taps and plenty of tackles till a person yielded, usually once Jacob managed to get someone in a headlock. 

“Make sure you move the vases!”

“Yes, Ms. Call!” Seth called out as he and Maisie moved the vases into the kitchen. 

They all liked Embry’s mom. She was a very chill parent, and the only one willing to let them hold wrestling matches in her house. She was especially better than Quil’s mom who constantly grounded him and was the reason he wasn’t over with the guys at that present moment. After multiple wrestling matches, all won by Maisie and Jacob, the four set up a pallet of blankets on the floor to sleep. 

“I was thinking we grab lunch and eat outside tomorrow. They said the snow might stick,” Seth suggested. 

“Sorry, I can’t.”

“Hmm?”

“She promised Bella Swan that she’d eat lunch with her on our long days,” Jacob finished Maisie's thoughts like he always did. 

“You actually made a friend that’s not us?” Embry asked. 

Maisie smacked him with her pillow before turning over.


	2. Chapter 2

Maisie picked up the lunch tray, mulling over the limited options. Weeks into the school semester and she kept eating with Bella and her friends on her long days. It became a habit, and though they wouldn’t admit it, everyone just liked Maisie's presence. They became used to a body filling the empty chair at their table, even if she didn’t talk much at all. She usually just sat and absorbed all their gossiping, responding here and there, throwing in some advice when she could. 

“Looks like bad weather finally brought them back,” one of the boys, Maisie thought his name was Mike, muttered. 

“Hmm?”

“The Cullens,” Jessica filled her in. Maisie liked her; she was quick to let her know exactly what was going on at Forks. 

“When the weather’s good, they leave and go hiking.” 

Maisie nodded. She was pretty sure Bella told her something about that a couple of weeks ago. Maisie was a bit startled when she turned to look at them and saw all eyes on her. Their amber eyes definitely made her feel like they were staring into her soul. Maisie awkwardly smiled at them but did nothing more. 

“Did Edward Cullen just smile at you?” she heard Tyler ask. 

“N-no, he’s probably just looking at Bella.”

“She says as she’s the only one looking at the Cullen table,” Angela quipped up. 

She whipped her head back around as quickly as she could. All the sudden attention made her shrink into her seat. 

“Leave Maisie alone,” Bella defended you. 

“Sorry Mai Mai, we’re just messing with you. You up to come to the movies with us after lunch?” Mike asked. 

“After lunch?”

“Yeah. Teacher work day. It’s a half day.”

“Mike, she doesn’t go to school here. She probably has to get back to actual class.” Jess playfully pushed him. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry guys. We don’t really do half days, just no school or there is school. Maybe another time?” 

Maisie wasn’t expecting them to invite her. She had become used to eating lunch with them but still felt very shy, it wasn’t like hanging out with her La Push friends. 

“Totally. Besides, the good movies don’t come out till later anyway.” 

Maisie was headed out of the school building with all the other students. Without having to take their dad to his doctor appointments, Jacob let her drive the truck that day. Maisie laughed as she and Bella both slipped on the icy stairs. Wiping the ice off her butt, she made her way to the car parked next to a nice Volvo and a fancy Jeep. Standing around the cars were the Cullen siblings. Maisie couldn’t seem to escape their powerful gaze. 

“Oh come on,” she muttered as she struggled to get the key in the car door. 

Maisie was failing even harder when she became aware the Cullens were watching. Struggling in the parking lot of a school that wasn’t her own was beginning to make her frustrated. She gave up and pulled out her phone.

“Jake, the key won’t go in the door… I think ice is in it somehow… no— Jake I know how to work the door. Dude, I literally got my license before you.” 

Maisie jumped as she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and found herself face to face with a girl with a dark brown pixie cut. She smiled very happily. 

“Do you need a ride?” 

“Um, maybe. I’m just going to see with my brother. We kind of need this car to work.” 

It was true. Maisie didn’t just refuse because she was shy but her family needed the car. It was the only truck that was suitable for Billy’s wheelchair. She also didn’t want them to get in trouble. She wasn’t sure why but she knew they weren’t allowed in La Push and someone was guaranteed to snitch. 

“Alice, give Maisie some space to finish her call,” Jasper called his mate back over to their car. He could feel Maisie's nervousness and Edward could read her thoughts and see how uncomfortable she was. 

Maisie walked around to lean on the back of the truck. Knowing that the Cullens were waiting to see if she needed them to drop her back at school, she tried her best not to become nervous and change her tone with her brother. 

“Jake, Jacob… Jacob, will you listen to me? I’m positive it’s frozen over. It’s literally freezing. I’m pretty sure I can chip at it but I’m gonna be late. Please cover for me… Jake, I’m not buying you anymore sandwiches.” 

Even Rosalie, who wasn’t her biggest fan, couldn’t help but snicker. They tried not to be too expressive. They didn’t want her to think they were laughing at her. 

“Why not? I’m your sister you can’t keep brib— stop being annoying, Jakeybear… now you know how it feels to be annoying. I’ll yell that in the hallway if you don’t cover. Try me Jakey—”

Maisie's final words didn’t come out as she heard the screeching of tires and looked over to see Tyler’s van barreling towards her. Before she could even process what was happening, Maisie was on the ground staring at Edward Cullen. She looked at where his hand was pressed against Tyler’s van, leaving a slight dent, and could feel his other hand cradling the back of her head to stop it from hitting the truck. 

She was stunned as everyone suddenly crowded around asking if she was alright. Maisie could hear her brother panicking on the other end of the line. Edward picked up the phone and placed it in her hand. 

“Jake? I’m okay, I think. I think I’m gonna faint.” 

The girl could hear Edward telling her brother to meet them at Forks’ Hospital. Being shuffled into the back of a Jeep was the last thing Maisie remembered before blacking out. 

* * *

“Maisie, are you okay?” Jacob, Billy, and Charlie rushed into the room where Dr. Carlisle was examining the girl. 

“I’m so sorry, Maisie. I tried to stop.”

“I’m okay Tyler, it’s fine.”

“It sure as hell isn’t. You and I are gonna have a talk, young man,” Charlie addressed Tyler.

“Dad, Maisie’s fine,” Bella tried to help. 

“You can kiss your license good-bye young man.” 

“It’s not that serious.”

“You could’ve been killed.”

“I’m fine Uncle Charlie. Dad, back me up.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” 

Maisie nodded trying to reassure her dad that she was fine. He and Jacob both looked like they had been crying. She didn’t want to worry them. It was bad enough they lost their mom in a car accident, she knew they wouldn’t be able to handle it if she had gone out the same way. 

“She’s lucky Edward was there,” Bella spoke up. 

“Edward?” Charlie turned to Dr. Cullen. “Your boy?” 

“I was parked right next to them.”

“He moved so quickly, you almost couldn’t see him,” Bella continued. 

“Well it sounds like you were very lucky. Mr. Black, if you would follow the nurse to reception to sign off on some paperwork.” 

The tension between their dad and Dr. Cullen wasn’t lost and Maisie and Jacob. They gave each other a look as Jacob pushed Billy towards reception, Charlie leaving with them to start the cruiser so they could head back to the school and retrieve the truck. 

Maisie jumped down from the waiting table and walked out of the little room with Bella. They both stopped when they saw Edward, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Alice arguing in the hallway. Their voices were too low to actually make out any words. They stopped and turned to look at the two girls at the end of the hall. Edward’s eyes softened as Maisie approached. The pep talk she had to give herself before stepping up to them was endearing to him. 

“Thank you for pulling me out the way. I definitely froze up back there.” 

Maisie looked everywhere but Edward’s eyes, she wasn’t sure if she felt like taking the intensity that came with the Cullen’s oddly gold eyes. 

“How did you get to her so fast?” Bella questioned quickly. 

“I was standing right next to her.”

“You were on the other side of two cars, there’s no way.” 

Leave it to Bella, she was very inquisitive. 

“Bella, let it go. It was probably just an adrenaline rush, it doesn’t matter now.” 

“I know what I saw.”

“And what was that?” Edward questioned. 

“You push the van away with your hand.” 

Maisie stopped putting on her coat at those words. She thought she remembered Edward’s hand on what looked like a dent in Tyler’s car. She wasn’t sure if it was real or imagined, after all Maisie fainted quickly after. There wasn’t any explanation she could think of, she wasn’t even sure if it was possible. Maisie finished shrugging on her coat. 

“Bella, can we just leave? I’m kind of tired.”

Bella dropped it for her friend's sake but she already knew it wasn’t going to be let go. Poor Edward, he was the one who had to go to school with her and one thing never changed about Bella from when she was younger. If she had her mind set on something, she was going to figure it out. Especially if it was a guy that intrigued her.


	3. Chapter 3

Quil passed the soccer ball to Embry. Maisie and the guys were kicking a ball down the beach. Jacob kicked the ball a little too far for anyone to reach so they all chased after it. The ball stopped at the edge where the parking lot met the beach. A small van was there and Maisie was pretty sure she recognized it as Tyler’s. 

She made her way to where the van was and saw her lunch buddies. She smiled a little as they all waved. The boys were happy to see her opening up to someone other than them. 

“Hi, Maisie,” they all greeted. 

“Hi, guys. Um, this is my brother Jacob and our friends. Embry, Quil, and Seth.” 

“What are you stalking me now?” Bella joked with Jacob. 

Jacob smiled, remembering running into her on accident a few days ago. “You’re on our turf now baby. La Push is Quileute land.” 

“You guys should stay and keep Bella company,” Jess said, zipping up her wetsuit. “Her date bailed.” 

“It wasn’t a date. I was just trying to be nice.”

“Date?” Maisie asked intrigued. Bella hadn’t mentioned any boys. 

“She invited Edward Cullen. He seems to love talking to her,” Jess filled her in. 

“I think it’s nice she invited him. No one ever does,” Angela spoke up.

“Yeah, it’s cause the Cullens are freaks,” Mike said. 

“You got that right,” Quil chimed in. 

Everyone laughed and maybe a few weeks ago she would’ve too. But something made Maisie feel bad at Mike’s words. 

“I was just trying to be nice.”

“I’m sure you were, Bells.” Maisie gave her friend a reassuring smile. 

“Wouldn’t have made a difference,” Embry said, they knew he was about to say the famous saying. 

“The Cullens don’t come here.” 

* * *

Maisie walking with Jacob and Bella on the beach. She had gotten bored of the van but didn’t want to surf either so they offered to walk with her. Seth, Embry, and Quil had headed back home. Bella was sandwiched in between the two Black siblings. 

“What did your friend mean about the Cullens don’t come here?” Bella asked. 

“It’s nothing. Just an old superstition,” Jacob started. 

Jacob didn’t really listen to the older legends. He always brushed over them anytime their dad told them anything. Bella seemed to hang onto his every word like she was searching for truth in them. While Maisie loved the tribe legends, she heard them so many times that Jacob’s retelling wasn’t very interesting. She only rejoined the conversation when Bella asked if the girl would go prom dress shopping with her. She didn’t want to suffer at the hands of Jessica and Angela on a shopping craze alone.

* * *

Maisie sat on the bench in the window with Bella. Bella was holding onto Jessica’s pile of potential dresses while she was holding onto Angela’s. They were about to hand Jessica and Angela a new set of dresses when a bunch of older boys knocked on the window. They catcalled and made rude gestures. Maisie recoiled as they laughed. 

“Boys are actually the worst,” Jessica said annoyed. “I’m not sold on this yet. I’m gonna keep looking.” 

“Hey, do you guys mind if I catch you at the restaurant? There’s a bookstore I wanted to check out while we were here and it’s gonna close soon.” Bella picked awkwardly at her shirt sleeve. 

“Yeah, Bella. We’ll catch you at dinner.” 

Maisie stood up. “I’m gonna go with her to make sure everyone has someone.”

“Sounds good,” Angela said. “See you guys in a bit!”

They left Jessica and Angela in the dress shop and followed Bella towards the bookstore. Maisie ditched her friend for a little bit, looking through some of the art supplies and picking up a new set of Copic markers she had been eyeing before finding Bella in the mythology aisle. She peeked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at: _Quileute Legends_. 

“You know if you were interested in hearing more stories you could’ve just asked. I’m sure our dad has that exact same book at home.”

“I guess I didn’t think about that,” Bella admitted. “Well, it’ll be nice to have a copy.” 

They both made their way to checkout and purchased their goods. It was dark outside the bookstore when they stepped out of it. Maisie and Bella continued to walk towards the restaurant they agreed to meet the others at, passing an alleyway. 

“Well, look what we got here boys.” 

The drunk men from earlier stepped out from the alleyway. Maisie's breathing quickened as the boys grabbed her and Bella. She wasn’t strong enough to push the man off of her as she felt his hot breath on her neck and he had her pinned against the back wall.

“Didn’t we see you two pretty girlies at the dress shop?” 

Maisie couldn’t get out a proper scream as the man’s hand covered her mouth. A car whipped into the alleyway. Maisie thought she recognized the silver Volvo and the thought was confirmed when Edward stepped out. 

“Get in the car,” he said lowly but Maisie could hear the traces of anger behind his voice. 

Bella quickly got in the backseat. Most of the men stood back, not wanting to bother with the trouble. But the man who held onto Maisie refused to move. Edward pulled the man away. He gripped his shoulder tightly causing the man to slowly sink to the ground. 

“I suggest you follow your friends before we have a problem.” 

The man looked between Maisie and Edward before letting her go. Edward removed his gray peacoat and wrapped it around Maisie. He picked up the small bag of her art supplies and escorted her to the car, keeping his eyes on the men the entire time. Once he shut the door, Edward sped off. 

“I should go back and rip those guys heads off!” All the anger Edward was holding in came out.

“No, you shouldn’t,” Bella said very calmly from the back seat. 

“You don’t know the foul things they were thinking. The foul, repulsive—” Edward cut himself off. 

“And you do?”

“It’s not hard to guess.” Edward looked over at Maisie in the passenger seat. “Talk to me, distract me so I don’t go back and kill them.”

Edward’s grip on the steering wheel loosened as he stopped applying so much pressure on the gas. Maisie's thoughts were sweet. More concerned about him and Bella than about herself. He could also hear the smallest thought, she was already trying to push away the traumatic event. It took everything he had to control himself as she recalled the man’s breath and hands. 

“We were supposed to meet Angela and Jessica for dinner,” she said softly.

“La Locanda.”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.” Edward smiled. “Best restaurant in Washington.”

“I’m more of a Grandma’s fan, myself.”

“Grandma’s?”

Maisie paused before continuing. “It’s on La Push. It’s really good.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” 

They were quiet until Edward pulled up in front of the restaurant. Maisie felt bad for mentioning the diner on the res. It completely slipped her mind that the Cullens weren’t allowed and wouldn’t have known. Jessica and Angela were pacing frantically outside the restaurant. They pulled Maisie and Bella into death grips when they stepped out of the car. 

“Where were you two? We called a thousand times!” 

“We’re okay, Angela,” Bella reassured. 

Jessica scratched the back of her head. “Um, I’ve got to confess. We tried waiting for you two but got hungry and well, we went ahead and ate without—” 

Jessica trailed off as Edward finally exited the car. 

“I’m afraid that’s my fault the two of them are late.”

“Oh, no. Yeah, we totally get it. That’s cool,” Jessica rambled on. “Well we were just leaving.”

“Yeah, we should probably get going. Charlie’s gonna want me home before he leaves for the night shift,” Bella said. She didn’t want to leave but knew for Charlie’s sake she should. 

“Actually, I think I better make sure that Maisie gets something to eat since I interrupted your dinner plans. If that’s okay with you, of course.” 

Before the girl could respond, Jessica answered for her. She and Angela excitedly walked away, whispering amongst themselves. Bella looked at Edward and then at the book in her hand before walking away with the other two girls. As Maisie followed Edward inside, she thought maybe she should pretend to be sick and avoid going to Forks on Monday for lunch. The girls were definitely going to ask questions. 

Maisie and Edward sat down at a booth near the back of the restaurant. The waitress brought out two waters and left them to ponder over the menu. 

“Are you not going to eat?” Maisie asked Edward as she dug into her meal. 

Edward shook his head. “I had already eaten before meeting you and Bella.” 

“How did you know where to find us?” 

“I didn’t.” Edward paused when she looked at him with doubt. “I heard a small scream around the bar.” 

“I didn’t think anyone would actually come… or that it was loud enough.”

“It wasn’t but I had a feeling.”

“A feeling? So you were following us?”

Edward was caught off guard and from what it seemed like in her head he could tell Maisie was too. It wasn’t like her to be so confrontational with people that weren't family. He settled on telling her the truth, a part truth. 

“I wasn’t following you. I was in Port Angeles getting something for my sisters. You scream very loudly in your head.”

“In my head?” Maisie dropped her fork onto the plate. 

“I have the ability to read everyone’s mind in this room… you don’t believe me.”

“You have to admit it’s a bit far-fetched.” 

“I’ll prove it.” 

Edward told her what everyone in the room was thinking and then turned to Maisie. “You peed yourself when you were younger at the petting zoo when one of the goats tried to eat your pants.”

Edward chuckled as she looked down at her food. 

“If I knew you were telling the truth I would’ve thought of something less embarrassing. How’d you know the scream was mine though?”

“People sound the same in their minds as they do out loud. I’ve heard you enough times at lunch.” 

“You can hear all our thoughts?”

“Everyone but Bella’s.”

“Is that why you stare so hard?”

“With everyone else, your thoughts are clear. With her… static. If I’m being honest, it’s hard sometimes to read yours. It’s a little fuzzy, like I’m looking at all your thoughts under water.”

“So something’s wrong with the two of us?”

“I tell you I read minds and you think you’re the problem?”

Edward smiled widely, genuinely. Pretty quickly his face went back to the stoic Edward that Maisie was used to seeing in the cafeteria. She finished eating and got back in the car. The drive back towards Forks was rather silent.

“Do you mind if I turn on the radio?”

Both Maisie and Edward reach for it. She pulled away quickly after his freezing cold hand touched hers. Was he always this cold? Without much thought she reached for the heating and turned it on. If he had a heartbeat it would’ve jumped at the sweet gesture. Maisie looked out the window to see a commotion of cars near the police station, including Charlie’s cruiser that was there earlier than his shift started. 

“Uncle Charlie?”

Edward pulled over knowing she’d want to see what was happening.

“Uncle Charlie!” Maisie called out. “What happened here?”

“Carlisle, what’s going on?” Edward came up behind her when he saw his father coming out of the station behind Chief Swan. 

“Waylon Forge was found dead in a boat near his house. Dr. Cullen just came from examining the body.” 

“What was it?”

“Animal attack,” Carlisle said. He and Edward exchanged looks that Maisie couldn’t quite make out. 

“The same one that attacked the guard on the news?”

“Most likely. It’s very late, you should probably get home to your family Maisie. Especially with another attack.” 

“Yes, Dr. Cullen. Oh, Uncle Charlie, did you see Bella get back before you left.”

“Yep, kiddo, right as I was leaving the house. Thanks for making sure. Carlisle’s right, I’d feel safer if you were inside.” 

“I’ll take her.”

“Edward are you sure?” Carlisle asked pointedly. 

“I’ll take her.” 

Edward drove up to the very edge of the La Push reservation. He desperately wanted to take Maisie all the way home, make sure she was safe in her room. But he also knew that in terms of the entire state of Washington, La Push posed no threat to her at all. It was the safest place she could be at the moment. He knew he should find someone else, Maisie couldn’t ever truly be his. Edward watched her as she gathered the little bag of art supplies. Maisie turned to look at him. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

“I feel very… protective of you,” Edward sighed. “I can’t take you any further.”

“I’ll be safe. I’m headed to my friend’s house anyway, he lives near the edge. It’s UFC Night.” 

“Sounds fun?”

“Tons… you know, if you want to know what Bella’s thinking just talk to her. I think you two would get along, you kind of are alike.” 

“And about us? Do you think we’d get along?”

“You already know what I think don’t you.”

“I try not to pry when it comes to you.”

Maisie smiled. It was nice to know Edward tried not to invade her mind. She didn’t say anything to him, just waved and walked away. Maisie wasn’t sure how she felt about Edward but knew deep down it was more than on a friendly level, even if she pushed him towards Bella for both their sakes. Even though he wasn’t allowed on La Push and she knew that just being his friend was hard, Maisie wasn’t sure she wanted to stay away. 

“I don’t think I have the strength to stay away from you anymore,” Edward whispered to himself as he watched her walk off towards Embry’s house. 

* * *

“Quil, you actually made it!” Maisie squealed happily as she saw her friends on the couch. 

“Yeah. Gramps told mom to lay off a bit. You just come from a date?” 

The other boys took their eyes from the television at Quil’s words. 

“What? No, why?”

“You’re wearing a coat three sizes too big and way too stylish for you,” Jacob answered. 

Maisie looked at her sleeve. Edward’s gray peacoat was still on. She shrugged it off and hung it on the back of a chair, setting down her shopping bag as well. 

“It wasn’t a date, more of a surprise? I was actually out with Bella, Jess, and Ang before.” 

“Who’s the guy?”

“Unimportant.” 

“You won’t tell your twin?”

“We share the same birthday, not the same womb. You don’t have to know everything Jake. Besides, it wasn’t a date.” 

Maisie sat in between Jacob and Embry, grabbing the chip bowl off of Embry’s lap so she could rest her head. Jacob stopped pushing and grabbed some chips. He didn’t sweat it much, Maisie always ended up sharing everything with him. They were two peas in a pod. Once they left Embry’s house he figured maybe she’d say. Sometimes, it took her longer to open up. 

“So it wasn’t a date?” Embry pushed. 

“Why do you guys care so much? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you like me.” 

Maisie eyed Embry who had gotten quiet. This was a new side to him. She couldn’t lie, at one point when they were younger she did have a crush on Embry. Maisie reached up and suddenly kissed his cheek making the other boys gag. 

“It wasn’t a date. Just one of the people I know at Bella’s school.”


	4. Chapter 4

Maisie had planned on avoiding Forks’ High School so she wouldn’t have to listen to the girls hound her about Edward; but, now she had a coat to return. Bella had called earlier saying something about Edward but Maisie told her she didn’t want to hear it. She already knew his mind-reading secret and it wasn’t hers to tell. Bella didn’t seem fazed at all, she was fine that her friend didn’t care. She still wanted to know the truth for herself. 

Maisie signed into the front office as always but wasn’t planning on staying for very long. Avoiding the area she knew where Bella’s locker was, she entered the cafeteria. She saw her friends, she had finally upgraded them from lunch acquaintances to actual friends, but they were too enthralled in their conversation to see her. 

Maisie was glad, she really just wanted to complete the task and head back to La Push where no one knew anything. Besides, Quil’s grandfather made lunch for him and was kind enough to make a big enough meal for Quil to share with them. Jacob would definitely eat her share if she didn’t get back at a certain time. 

She made her way to the Cullen table, they never seemed to switch where they were sitting. Rosalie noticed Maisie first and smiled as she sat up straighter. At her action, the Cullens all turned to look. The girl tried not to shrink under their gaze; she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to all the golden eyes. Maisie stuck out her hand that was holding the gray peacoat once she was in front of Edward. He gave a small, amused smile. 

“I forgot to give this back.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you eating lunch here today?” Rosalie asked. The other Cullens were shocked, she seemed to actually like Maisie. 

“Oh no, Embry’s waiting outside to drive us back to school.” 

“Embry?”

“Yeah my um, boyfriend? I guess we haven’t really discussed labels, um, yet.”

“Oh.” 

She wasn’t sure why Rosalie seemed a bit disappointed. They all did. Edward tried to contain his facial expressions. He knew this was bound to happen. La Push was who Maisie was. He tried not to pry but her apologetic thoughts easily slipped out. She still wanted to be his friend. He wanted that as well. That’s what he had to tell himself. 

The primal instinct in him wanted her to be his and if he couldn’t have her in a civilized way, he wanted her the way he did when he first saw her. He knew how Jasper felt with all these humans around. The scent of Maisie's blood became much stronger to him. How he envied his siblings. Their blood singers were their mates, already vampires. They never had to worry about accidentally hurting one another. Never knew what it was like long for their blood. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to tell the girl and turn her. 

“We need to talk now, somewhere private. Hi Maisie,” Bella didn’t miss a beat as she confronted Edward and greeted her friend at the same time. 

Edward slipped into Maisie's head. Bella he couldn’t read but Maisie, he could easily even if the thoughts were sometimes blurry. Even if he tried not to. He had seen the phone conversation the two of them had. He knew Bella was going to confront him. And he also knew that Maisie wanted him to go with her. The girl whose mind he couldn’t read that also intrigued him like Maisie did. A puzzle he wanted to crack desperately. The way she went to Embry, he figured maybe he should put aside his thoughts for her as well. It wasn’t like Bella didn’t interest him a little bit. 

“Hi, Bells.” 

“The woods next to the school you’ll find private enough,” Edward said looking at Bella. 

They all walked out together. Embry had left the car running up front. 

“Sorry I took so long, Em. This is Edward, owner of the coat, and you remember Bella.” 

“Yeah, how are you Bella?”

“Good.”

“Ready to head back Mai Mai?” Embry asked as she nodded, jumping into the passenger’s seat. “Nice to see you both.” 

Edward couldn’t even be mad as he looked through Embry’s thoughts. They held nothing but love for Maisie. Embry didn’t even care that the two of them were friends. If she said they were just friends, Embry believed it unquestioningly.

* * *

“I’m surprised Jacob let you take me out.” 

“Jake knows me.”

“You’re still dating his sister no— Embry!” Maisie screamed as Embry threw her into the water. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

Embry smiled as he held onto Maisie in the water. She wrapped her legs around him to keep herself up. Nothing felt different when she was with Embry, she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Weren’t things supposed to change when you start dating your best friend? It was all just more of the same but with kissing. 

“Did you have fun yesterday?”

_La Push high school was closed on Friday for a Teachers’ Work Day so Maisie hung out at Forks instead. Everyone was pleasantly surprised that she would choose to spend a free day with them, shadowing mainly Angela and Bella during their classes. Maisie sat with the Cullens and Bella for lunch._

_The dynamic between everyone seemed different to her. She knew Bella confronted Edward about something but didn’t know if it was about the mind-reading or not. It was like they were all walking on eggshells around her now. Or maybe it was because of dinner? Bella told her how a recent dinner at the Cullens did not go very well. Maisie comforted her letting her know it was probably nothing._

_“Tada,” Maisie said quietly._

_She held up her drawing of the Cullens at lunch. She had been working on it for a few days._

_“That looks really good, Mai,” Bella said admiring the picture._

_She smiled proud of her work. She didn’t draw her friends very often, Billy could only convince Maisie to paint him a portrait for his birthday a couple years ago. She wanted to share this with them though. Edward looked at the picture again after seeing Maisie's thought about Billy. Whenever it came to talking, Maisie felt Edward was very measured in his words but he assured her that wasn’t the case._

_“You really captured our eyes,” he mused._

_“Hard not to miss. I blended maybe four yellows to get it right.”_

_“I like it.”_

_“Good, it’s yours to keep.”_

_She handed him the picture and packed up her stuff._

_“It was fun hanging out with you all but I’ve got to go. Dad’s doctor appointment and I’ve got to get snacks.”_

_“UFC Night?” Edward asked, already knowing the answer._

_“You watch UFC?” Emmett was suddenly interested._

_“Watch it? We throw whole competitions. You’re looking at this year’s five time champ.”_

_“You? Little Mai Mai?”_

_Maisie shrugged. “Embry says it’s only cause Seth’s too afraid to get me hurt… on account of these.”_

_She vaguely gestured to her chest, just like Embry did. She and Edward both laughed at the memory._

_“But you still win?”_

_“Exactly.”_

_Emmett sat back in his seat, impressed. Edward could tell he liked her. Wrestling was a quick way to become friends with Emmett._

“It was fun. I gave them my drawing I finally finished.” 

Despite meeting Edward once, Embry never put the name and the face together. No one knew Maisie was friends with the Cullens and she kept it that way. All they knew was that thanks to Bella, she made some friends in Forks. Embry was just happy that she had people other than the guys, especially girls like Jessica and Angela— he liked them based on what she had said.

“You drew your friends? Do I get a picture?” 

“I’ve already drawn you Embry.”

“That was an assignment for class, it doesn’t count.” 

Maisie played with a strand of Embry’s long wet hair that had found its way out of the ponytail holder. “Tell you what, the next time it’s a rainy day we’ll set up in the garage and I’ll draw your picture for real. Copic markers and all.”

“It’s a deal.” 

Embry removed one of his hands from her back and held up a pinky. Maisie rolled her eyes as she wrapped her pinky around his, both of them kissing their own thumbs. Just as they let go, thunder clapped and it started to rain. Maisie looked up in shock as Embry laughed. 

“Someone’s on my side out in the universe. Let’s go.”


	5. Chapter 5

Maisie and Embry both ran back up the beach, grabbing their stuff before making their way back to her house. Jacob was in the garage when the two entered, working on an old Volkswagen Beetle. The car was Maisie's or was going to be hers. Jacob made money fixing up cars and bikes and one client who constantly went to him for different bike repairs gifted him the old car having no use for it. Jake was going to sell off the parts until he saw Maisie eyeing the car. He decided the parts wouldn’t be too hard to acquire and made the car her next birthday present. 

Maisie and Jacob shared the garage. Billy’s house wasn’t big. In fact, before Rebecca and Rachel left Maisie shared a room with Jake. Billy felt bad he didn’t have much space for his growing children. After his accident moving into a bigger space was out of the question, he didn’t have a proper job anymore only doing desk work at the fishing docks. The money Jacob made was Jacob’s, Billy had to keep reminding his son every time Jacob tried to sneak money into his wallet. Because of that Maisie and Jacob didn’t complain but chose to share the garage. It was mainly Jake’s, parts and automobiles took up lots of space. But the back left corner was Maisie's to be an art studio. 

“Hey, Jake.” 

Maisie left the garage door up so natural light could come in, also to look at the rain coming down. 

“Rain ruined your plans? I’ll order us all something to eat. Grandma’s?” 

“You know it.”

She changed into a spare set of paint covered sweats and brought out a mini heater for Embry. She guided him to sit on the chair— the chair was really just a tire with blankets and a pillow. The initial sketching of Embry in the sketchpad didn’t take much time, Maisie had already drawn him before in class the second time around was easier. 

They paused for a dinner break. Jacob rolled his eyes as Embry took Maisie's phone to take pictures of her and she attempted to hide. If anyone was going to date his sister he was glad it was a boy he trusted like his friend. But if they were going to act like this he would only hang out with the two of them separately. Embry stopped when her phone lit up. 

“It’s Bella Swan.” 

“Hmm?” Maisie took her phone. “Bella? Bella… okay stop yelling, what’s going on? Charlie? Phoenix, Bella where are you… okay. Call me later, please.”

“What was that?” Embry asked as she hung up. 

“I’m not very sure. The only thing I got was to check on Uncle Charlie in a couple of days. I think she’s visiting her mother.”

Jacob laughed. “Doesn’t trust Charlie on his own. Don’t blame her, the only thing he can cook is fish.” 

Maisie chuckled in agreeance. She went back to her sketchpad, spending the rest of the time with Embry color matching the correct markers to his skin tone so she could color it in later. 

“So do I get a picture too?” Jacob asked as he cleaned the garage a bit. 

“Only cause you’re fixing me a car.” 

“Aww she does love her brother.” 

Maisie tried to push Jacob away as he tried to give her a hug.

* * *

“She fell down two flights of stairs?” Maisie asked in disbelief. 

She was at Forks’ Hospital. Bella had been taken to the hospital in Phoenix and after her immediate stabilization transferred to Forks where Dr. Cullen could take of her better. Maisie was sitting cross-legged on one end of a bench in the hallway eating cereal from the hospital cafeteria, Edward sat across on the other side. He nodded in answer to her question. 

“And through the window? I knew she was clumsy but I didn’t know it was that bad. She’s okay though?”

“She’s fine. Carlisle said once the initial blood loss was stabilized the real danger was over. She has a broken arm, needs to wear a cast now.” 

Maisie nodded while taking another spoonful of cereal. She was glad her friend was going to be mostly okay. Maisie looked out the window above the bench at the overcast day. 

“I know you’re reading my mind.” She smiled as Edward quickly flitted his eyes in another direction. “You stare a little too hard when you do.” 

“I’m sorry. I really try not to when it comes to you; but your thoughts are so nice. And very easily come to me.” 

“Come to you?”

“Hold your hand up.” 

Maisie transferred the cereal bowl to her left hand and held out her right. Edward pressed his palm against hers. A smile threatened to pull at his lips as she tried not to shiver at how cold he was. 

“It’s taken me many years to filter out people’s thoughts. I used to only hear one mind and then when I could hear multiple at once I couldn’t filter it out. Once I learned how it became easy. Most people’s minds are like this with me. But very few people, my family…”

Edward interlocked his fingers with hers. 

“You… are like this. Your mind is connected with mine. I cannot stop your thoughts from entering my head if I wanted to.” 

“Why me?”

Edward didn’t answer. He slowly pulled his hand away. To explain to Maisie why her mind was so connected to his would be to explain everything. Edward watched her eat another bite of cereal. He watched the bite she swallowed move down her throat. His thirst came back as he looked at her neck. He could hear her heartbeat. Edward had to control himself. He bit his tongue to ignore the instinct. 

**You are hers** , the voice in the back of his head rang. 

Edward forced himself to tear his gaze away from her throat and back to her face; but he still couldn’t look at her eyes. He was looking at her lips instead. 

“What?” Maisie asked. 

“You have a little…” 

Edward reached out with his thumb to swipe at the drop of milk that caught in the corner of her mouth. He couldn’t help himself. With his hand on her face he could feel the blood underneath her skin calling out to him. Edward leaned in close and carefully pressed his lips to hers, afraid if he pushed too much he’d bite. Maisie melted into it slightly before quickly pulling away. 

“What are you doing?” 

“I—” 

She stood up from the bench and shoved the bowl of cereal in Edward’s hands. 

“I— I’m with Embry now. You have Bella, you’re taking her to prom. You’re with her we can’t.” 

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Edward lied. He wasn’t sorry at all. 

“I should go. I’ll see you at lunch.” 

Maisie touched a couple fingers to her lips. Edward didn’t want to admit but he was proud as he read her thoughts. Everything in those few seconds was different than any kiss with Embry. She wanted more and he regretted nothing. Almost, nothing. The only problem with kissing Maisie was he wanted more. He had a taste of his blood singer and he needed the whole thing.

* * *

Everyone looked confused as Jacob got up from the couch. It wasn’t UFC Night at Embry’s but anime at Quil’s, not by choice at first. Ms. Call was in a book club and as much as she loved having all the kids over, it was finally her turn to host the ladies so the children were kicked out. 

The only place they were all allowed to go was Quil’s. Billy and Harry Clearwater, Seth's dad, were over at Charlie’s to watch a basketball game. Quil’s was the only place where an adult would be. Everyone agreed once they realized the adult was his grandfather, his mom was in the book club. Embry removed a hand from Maisie's waist to pick up the remote and pause the show. 

“Dude, where you going? You’re going to miss the best parts.” 

“Dad asked me before he left to deliver a message to Bella.”

“Bella?” Maisie asked confused. If their dad wanted to get a message to Bella, she wondered why he didn’t just ask her. 

Jacob held up a twenty dollar bill. 

“Something about breaking up with her boyfriend. Don’t really care, easiest twenty ever made.”

“You want us to pause the show?” Seth asked.

“Nah, you guys keep watching. I’ll be back in a minute anyway.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Someone’s here for you.” Edward turned Bella around and pointed towards Maisie and Jacob coming their way. 

“Happy birthday, Bells!” Maisie said excitedly. 

Bella hummed in slight disapproval as she hugged her at the mention of her birthday. 

“Hi Mai, and hello biceps? You know anabolic steroids are really bad for you,” Bella said addressing the girl's brother. 

Maybe it was because she hung out with him all summer but she hadn’t really noticed that Jacob had gotten taller and some muscles. 

“I’m just filling out, Bella. You would know if you hung out with us more.” 

“You should switch schools then. Or come for lunch like Maisie, hang out with us pale faces,” Bella joked. 

Jacob laughed with her. “I’m good, think the res is more fun. Happy birthday by the way. I saw this and thought of you.” 

Jacob held up a dreamcatcher that Bella gratefully took. Maisie pulled out her sketchbook and ripped out the page with Bella’s portrait. 

“These are actually perfect presents, you two.”

Bella hugged them both, her hug on Jacob lingering a little longer than when she hugged Maisie. 

“I figured you wouldn’t want something too flashy,” Maisie said. 

“You know she’s been more open with her drawings, starting to give them out like favors. Still hasn’t finished mine yet,” Jacob quipped. 

“You haven’t finished my car yet. I’m sick of the stupid motorcycle.” 

“I was going to say,” Edward spoke up. “Bikes don’t really seem your style Maisie.” 

He didn’t mind speaking up around Jacob. Maisie gave in a few weeks ago and told Jacob about their friendship. Unlike her dad, Jake didn’t seem to have any particular feelings towards the Cullens but he agreed to keep quiet about her friends. Maisie walked off to talk with Edward by his car while Bella caught up with Jake. 

“It’s cause bikes aren’t. You want to see a picture of the car?”

“It’s small and cute, like you.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Your words sound sweet but your eyes confuse me.”

“My eyes?” Edward looked into her brown eyes. 

“What’s Jacob thinking about right now?” 

Edward smiled as Maisie quickly deflected. She could never look him in the eyes for very long without feeling like every secret of hers was his to know. Edward wanted nothing more than to please Maisie so he entertained her question but never took his eyes from hers. He could hear her heartbeat get faster the longer he looked. His instincts enjoyed it, like a hunt. But he didn’t want to hurt her. 

“Bella’s gotten prettier since he last saw her. The new part for your car comes in today or tomorrow morning. He’s wondering if you’re staying for lunch, apparently there’s a nacho bar at your school today?”

“Nachos?” 

Jacob was always the one that paid attention to the lunch menu, Maisie just showed up to the cafeteria. 

“And what color you want for the outside and the seats.”

“He’s gonna change the seats? Aww, I said he didn’t have to.”

“You have a good brother.” 

Before she could say anything, Jacob called her name. 

“Mai Mai! Are you staying for lunch? It’s—”

“A nacho bar today,” Maisie cut him off enjoying the surprised look on his face. Edward wanted to laugh, Maisie used his powers for the most trivial things. Nothing harmful. 

“Yeah. You actually looked at the menu?” 

Jessica and Angela scared Maisie as they each grabbed an arm. “Sorry, Jacob. Your sister’s ours today.” 

“Catch you back at school then.” Jacob hopped on his bike after giving Bella one last hug and sped off. 

“Your brother’s kind of cute,” Jessica said. 

“Eww, Jess. Can we just go to lunch?” 

* * *

It was like the Cullens had just disappeared. Maisie didn’t know the exact details but Bella told her Edward broke up with her and they just moved. Edward stopped answering Maisie's texts and calls as well. It confused her. But rather than focus on that, Maisie focused on the present moment. 

Maisie, Jacob, and Bella sitting in the garage. Bella had brought Jacob some bikes from the junkyard. Maisie knew it was her lame excuse to come over and see him. It was starting to get weird if she always claimed to come over to hang out with Maisie and then conveniently ended up in the garage with her brother.

Maisie let her car become Jacob’s back burner project as he focused on the bikes and other clients’ cars instead. Maisie rested on the tire-turned-chair. Putting down her doodles, she picked up folding paper instead. She had learned origami earlier in the summer when she got bored of drawing. Finishing the folds on a paper bat, she picked up another sheet of paper. 

“Question. How are your grades? Because I’m sure I haven’t seen either one of you pick up a textbook since we’ve been in this garage.”

Bella and Jacob looked over at Maisie and laughed. 

“Mai’s right. We should probably squeeze in some homework too if we’re going to be doing this everyday. Don’t want Billy to think I’m a bad influence on you.”

“You? An influence on me? Please, if anything it’s the other way around.”

“You wish, Jake,” Maisie said as she folded. 

“I’m older,” Bella started. “That makes me the influencer and you the influencee.”

“Mmm mmm. My size and knowledge base actually make me older than you because of your, you know, general paleness and lack of know-how.”

“He’s kind of got a point there,” Maisie quipped up. 

“Whose side are you on?” Bella asked. Her friend just shrugged, enjoying the banter. “Don’t you think that makes you funny, young, and naive?”

“Yo, Jake. You in there?” a voice called out from outside the garage. 

“Sounds like Embry.” 

Just like Jake predicted, Embry and Quil came walking in. 

“So the bike building story was true,” Embry said. 

“What about the part where you’re his girlfriend?” Quil asked. 

Maisie smirked as Jacob choked on air while Bella blushed profusely. They both may have denied it but she could see something there. 

“She’s a friend who’s a girl. Like you and Mai Mai,” Jacob said to Quil.

“I don’t remember you making that distinction. Do you remember him making that distinction, Embry?” 

Embry shook his head as he made his way over to Maisie. He kissed her on the forehead. She got up from the tire so he could sit down before taking a seat up on his lap. 

“So you have a girlfriend?” Bella asked. 

“Yeah, right,” Jake said. “Quil’s taking his cousin to prom.”

“Ooh burn,” Embry chuckled, causing Maisie to bounce up and down as he did. 

“Yeah, that’s a riot. You want funny Black? I’ll give you funny.” Quil quickly tackled Jacob. 

“Five bucks on Jake!” 

Maisie and Embry both shouted at the same time. She pouted and Embry kissed her stuck-out bottom lip. 

“I said it quicker, Mai Mai.”


	7. Chapter 7

It was the fourth day Embry hadn’t shown up for art class. Or eaten lunch with the guys. Or answered Maisie's texts. She wasn’t sure what the problem was. When she went over, Ms. Call told her she was worried too but a visit from Maisie's father assured Ms. Call that it was just mono. However, she warned the young girl to get tested just in case Embry had passed it on. 

Ms. Call was going to her book club but agreed that Maisie could come over to give Embry some soup. She was worried about her friend, boyfriend. Maisie used the spare key to let herself in. If Embry was as sick as the mono was making him out to be, she didn’t want him to get up just to answer the door. Maisie set down the soup in the kitchen, confused when she heard laughter and noise. How loud did Embry have the television?

It wasn’t the TV Maisie saw when she entered the living room. It was four shirtless men with short hair, laughing at something. One of them being Embry. 

“So much for the mono. You roll with Sam Uley now? Think it’s cool to ditch classes now?”

All of them looked up at the girl, clearly not expecting anyone to be there. 

“Maisie?” Embry asked. He made a move to stand up but one of the guys, she recognized as Paul, grabbed his arm. 

“And you have a tattoo?” Maisie looked at the arm that Paul grabbed. 

“And I thought I was being a good girlfriend bringing you soup and everything. I knew I should’ve stayed away like Dad asked.”

“I thought you said she was chill,” Jared piped up. 

Embry knew she was offended at that and Sam gave Jared a look to shut up. 

“She is, let me talk to her.” 

Paul let go of Embry. 

“Mai…” Embry stopped as he looked the girl in the eye. 

The other boys grumbled. 

“Of course everything works out in his favor,” Paul muttered. 

“Embry?” 

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and strolled over to her. 

“I really was sick a couple days ago. I’ll explain it soon, Sam’s been helping me.” 

Maisie looked at Sam and back to Embry. Something made her feel safe with him. He must’ve been telling the truth, she could feel the increased body temperature. He was probably still fighting off whatever it was. 

“It’s like Edward,” she whispered. 

“Edward?” 

At the mention of a Cullen name, Embry started to shake slightly. He had forgotten they were her friends. The thought of any of them near Maisie made him sick. He only calmed down when Sam abruptly called out his name. Embry centered himself back on her. 

“He had some secrets,” she tried to phrase it in a way to keep her friend’s secret. “Weird things I had to accept on a strictly need-to-know basis… is this a need-to-know, Em?” 

“Yeah, need-to-know. And I promise you’ll know all soon, once I’m better.” Embry kissed her on the cheek. “Go home now, Mai Mai.”

“You’re sick and you still kiss me? Your mother was right, I’m gonna need a mono test.”

All the boys laughed. Embry went to kiss her other cheek, Maisie tried and failed to avoid him. 

* * *

“Quil keeps asking about you. I think he likes you, Bells.” Jacob was putting the finishing touches on the motorcycles. 

“Quil’s not exactly my type,” Bella said. 

Maisie caught the side eye Bella gave Jacob and the small smile on Jake’s face. She was wondering when one of them was going to step up to the plate and ask the other out. Jacob tested the motorcycles and once he was satisfied, started loading them up in the back of Bella’s truck. Maisie slid into the back seat so the two of them could talk up front. 

“What would you have said if I told you I couldn’t fix the bikes?” 

“Hmm?”

“I just… maybe if I was smart I would’ve dragged out the project.” 

“I would’ve just found something else for us to do,” Bella said, matter-of-factly. “Besides, I think Maisie would like her car finished.”

“Um, yes, Maisie would,” she said from the back. 

“Is that Sam Uley?” Bella asked as she drove along the bridge. 

Jacob scoffed. “Yeah. Him and his cult.” 

Bella stopped the truck abruptly, almost making Maisie slam into the back of Jacob’s seat. “Oh my God! Did you see that?” 

The Black kids started laughing. 

“They’re not fighting, Bella,” Jacob explained. “They’re cliff-diving. It’s scary as hell but a total rush. Most of us jump from the lower cliffs. Leave the showing off to Sam and his disciples.”

“Is there some kind of beef with them or something?”

“Not really, they just think they run this place. Embry used to call them hall monitors on steroids and now look at him.” 

Maisie felt bad. Embry still didn’t hang around Jacob, never came to their house anymore. She only got calls and texts from him. It made her feel like she was in some period piece, only able to communicate through letters. Like no one was yet allowed to know of her secret affair. She figured he was still in the need-to-know stage so Maisie dropped it and agreed not to tell Jacob she was still with him. But still, she didn’t like seeing her brother hurt at the thought of losing his friend.

“That’s Embry? What happened to him?” Bella asked. 

“Missed some school, all of a sudden we see him following around Sam like a lost puppy. Same thing with Paul and Jared. And Sam keeps giving me these looks…like he’s waiting for me or something.”

Maisie looked at her brother confused. He didn’t tell her that Sam was watching him. She might’ve been on a need-to-know with Embry but she still didn’t like Sam. And definitely didn't like him messing with her brother.

“Well, just try to avoid them if you can.”

“I try.”

The three of them piled back into the truck and kept driving to an empty stretch of road. Jacob easily lifted the motorcycles out the truck. If Maisie didn’t spend so much time with him, she would think Bella’s jokes about Jake being on steroids were true. She stood in the bed of Bella’s truck and watched as Jacob explained the motorcycle to her. Maisie cheered hard for her friend until Bella gained a little too much speed and flew off the bike, hitting a rock. Maisie quickly jumped out of the truck and ran with Jacob to check on her. Jacob took off his shirt and began gently dabbing at the blood on Bella's forehead.

“What are you looking at?” Jacob asked.

“You’re kind of beautiful,” Bella said without much thought.

“How hard did you hit your head?” 

“Hey Jake,” Maisie started. “No more death contraptions.” 

* * *

Maisie and Jacob pulled up outside of the theater in her newly fixed up vintage Volkswagen Beetle, meeting Mike and Bella. Bella invited Jake who asked if Maisie could come. She invited Embry who turned it down when he discovered it wouldn’t just be the two of them. Bella was glad to have Maisie along as a distraction for Mike once she found out all the others couldn’t come: Jessica bailed, Angela was sick so Eric was taking care of her.

“So Face Punch?” Maisie asked, looking at the ticket.

“It’s supposed to be really good.”

“I’ll take your word for it, Mike,” she said unconvinced. “Let’s get popcorn.”

The movie was awful and after countless UFC Nights at Embry’s, the fighting wasn’t even that good. The only good thing that seemed to come from it was Bella leaning her head on Jacob’s shoulder. The movie had maybe thirty minutes left when Mike suddenly got up claiming he was going to throw up. The other three looked at each other before getting up to check on him.

“What a marshmallow,” Jacob laughed as they headed to the stairs to wait for Mike.

“Maisie, hold out for someone with a better stomach. A man who laughs at the gore instead of vomits.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Jake. But Mike wasn’t looking at me.” 

At her words, she watched Bella slip her hand into Jacob’s. Mike finally met them at the stairs.

“Well I need to go home, I’m feeling a bit sick… it's not funny, what’s your problem man?” 

Mike confronted Jake who was chuckling under his breath. Something about Mike’s tone set Jacob off and Maisie knew it. Normally he would brush something like that off but his face changed.

“Now? You’re my problem. You feel sick, need to go to the hospital? Maybe I should put you in the hospital.” Jacob stood up.

Bella quickly put herself in between the two of them. “Jake, Jake the movie’s over. Woah, Jake you’re really hot like burning up.”

Jacob looked like he was suddenly aware of where he was. 

“I don’t know what’s happening…I’ll see you later Bella, come on Mai, let’s go home.”

Jacob pulled her by the hand and Bella was right. He was burning up, just like Embry. 

Billy told her it was mono, the same type Embry had. The same type she figured out Paul had. And Jared and Sam. Maisie told that same story whenever she hung out at Bella’s house telling her it was mono. They never hung out at the garage anymore, the boys— who had opened up a little more to Maisie— asked her not to in case Bella saw Jacob. Maisie was in the living room when Jacob handed her the pair of scissors to cut his hair and when he got a tattoo. She watched how Jacob pushed everyone away and felt grateful that whatever had her in with Sam’s gang, kept her brother attached to her.


	8. Chapter 8

Maisie walked out of the garage carrying a box of origami wolves. She wasn’t sure why but it was the only thing she could fold lately, much to the others amusement. She saw Bella stomp out of their house and towards Sam Uley’s gang that was coming over for lunch. 

“Bella?” she said to herself, confused. Maisie followed her friend.

“What did you do?” Bella yelled as she approached them. “What the hell did you do to him! He didn’t want this!”

“Bella!” she called out trying to stop her from doing something stupid. 

“What did we do? What did he do? What did he tell you?” Paul said with a ferocity Maisie had never seen from him before. 

Embry walked over and wrapped his arms around Maisie sensing her fear. He rested his chin on her head. Embry gave Paul a look and for her sake he tried to cool himself. 

“He didn’t tell me anything! He won’t tell me anything because he’s afraid of you.” 

Paul and the others laughed. Even Maisie knew better, Jake wasn’t afraid of them. Out of anything there was a weird respect they all seemed to have for her brother. Bella didn’t like Paul’s reaction. She slapped him hard across the face. Paul started to shake intensely, his breathing getting very heavy. 

“Paul! Calm down!” Sam commanded. “Bella get back!”

Embry pulled Maisie back. She looked in shock as Paul transformed into a giant wolf. Her heartbeat accelerated. 

“Bella!” Jacob yelled as he cleared over the railing of the back porch. “Bella get back!”

Bella started to run and Embry pushed Maisie to run with her. Jacob soared over the both of them, turning into a giant wolf midair. Jacob and Paul growled at each other and began to fight, biting at each other. 

“Embry! What the hell is going on!”

Maisie yelled at the sight in front of her. Embry and Sam both took a step towards her. They could hear her heart beating too fast for what seemed possible. Sam was honestly worried she would go into cardiac arrest. Her breathing got heavier and Maisie couldn’t calm down no matter how many times Sam said to. She was sweating like crazy and felt a shift in her body. Suddenly she wasn’t standing on two legs anymore. She was on four. Everyone paused and looked at her.

“I didn’t think it was possible for a girl,” Jared started.

“The phasing's never happened before.” Sam was in as much awe.

Maisie looked down at her own hands to see paws. The sight alone freaked her out so she did the first thing she could think of. Maisie ran. She heard Sam yell out for Embry to get her. She ran all the way to the cliffs before finally stopping as she almost tipped over the edge, out of land to run on.

**_Mai Mai_ **

Maisie turned around scared. She recognized the voice as Embry’s but wasn’t sure how he was speaking. One, he was a wolf. Two, he had a blanket in his mouth meaning he couldn’t open it to speak. 

_**How can I hear you? What’s going on Embry?** _

**_It’s a mind link. Wolves of the same pack share it. You’re okay, Maisie. You’re going to shift back and then you’re going to look me in the eye and it all be okay._**

_**Embry? What are you talking about?** _

_**Calm down, listen to me. You’re going to think of your human body. Every curve, nail, beauty mark. You think of that and you’ll feel your bones start to melt back into your human ones. When you shift back you’ll be naked. I have the blanket to cover you. I’ll go into the woods and shift back first okay.** _

Embry appeared in front of her again, in a pair of jean shorts and blanket in his arms.

“Your turn Mai Mai. You’re going to shift back and then you’re going to look me in the eye. Okay, baby?” 

She did as Embry said, focusing on what her human body looked like. Embry was very careful not to look as he wrapped her in the blanket. Once it was tightly wrapped around, Maisie looked Embry in the eye like he said. She held Embry’s cheek in her hand. He didn’t have to say anything she knew there was disappointment in his face somehow. 

“We’re headed to Emily’s house. She should have some clothes you can wear?”

“We could just stop by my house first.”

Maisie and Embry stopped by her home and then headed to Emily’s where she was pleasantly surprised to see Bella. 

“This is the newly famous wolf girl,” Emily said, greeting her.

Maisie remembered her around La Push. Leah’s cousin and the reason Sam broke it off with Leah. It had been hot gossip when it first happened. Now, the only person who still cared about it was Leah even if she wouldn’t admit it. Maisie spent the better half of the day learning everything about the supernatural world. A world she didn’t realize she already knew half of. 

It wasn’t hard to learn. Like Jacob, Maisie was from the Black line. Their great grandfather was chief. Hidden in her subconscious was all this information already, she just needed the wolf to unlock it. There was so much to unlock. How Seth phased two nights ago when Harry had a heart attack at dinner and a fever set in for Leah. She learned of Edward’s partial truth. He could read minds but it wasn’t cause he was human. Maisie didn’t want to think ill of her friends but her nature made it almost instinct to have some disdain. 

The only thing to curb it was knowing they didn’t kill humans. She learned there was a crazy redheaded leech trying to murder her friend. And she had also learned of imprinting. How you’d become anything for your imprint. How you’d be a protector, a lover, a friend. How Jacob imprinted on a no longer pissed Bella. 

“Maybe it’s cause she’s a girl?” Jared offered. 

Embry’s somber thoughts alerted them of what happened on the cliffs before they even stepped into the house. 

“Maybe the imprint is a one off. Why would Maisie need to imprint on you if you already did on her?” Paul reasoned.

Everyone concluded maybe it was a mix of the two ideas. Naturally there were many mysteries surrounding a female shifter and maybe it was unnecessary for two wolves to lay claim to each other. With a mind link, Maisie now had to guard her thoughts from the others. That nothing changed when she looked at Embry. And after hearing some of his thoughts from the cliffs, she feared he had stronger emotions towards her than she did him. 

“I should be going home now, Charlie’s going to be worried. He still thinks it’s wild animals out in the forest. Be careful you guys. Maisie are you still coming for dinner?”

The girl looked at Sam. He shrugged, it’s not like he could stop Maisie and Jacob if they truly wanted something. 

“You wouldn’t be starting patrols till the weekend. Knock yourself out.” 

“I’ll drop you two off.” Jacob stood up, his arm still wrapped around Bella’s waist. 

Maisie didn’t say much as they drove back to Bella’s. Not that anyone would have answered. Bella and Jacob were too busy giving each other googly eyes. She wondered how long this phase of Jacob’s imprint would last. 

“Give me at least two weeks.”

“I’m so not enjoying this mind link.” Maisie undid her seatbelt to get out the truck. 

“Wait, there’s a vampire.” 

Jacob had been a wolf longer than her, he knew what to look out for. But the minute her brother pointed it out, Maisie could smell it too. She didn’t know quite where to place the smell. It wasn’t good or bad but it was vampire, she knew it. 

“That’s Carlisle’s car.” Bella pointed to the car in her driveway. 

“It could be a trick. We can’t protect you here, it’s not our territory.” 

“It’s okay, Jake. You don’t have to.” 

Bella exited the car. Maisie and Jacob nodded at each other and followed. The front door to Bella’s house opened. Alice Cullen? Maisie and Bella were both confused. Bella excitedly ran to her friend. Knowing Jacob was there, Maisie matched his pace and slowly walked into the house. 

“Bella! Are you okay? Where the hell is Maisie?! What happened?” 

She heard Alice ask frantically. She and Jacob stepped into the house. 

“I’m fine, Alice,” she comforted her friend, not sure why she was comforting her.

“Why would you try to kill yourself? You jumped off a cliff? I had a vision you tried to kill yourself? Are you crazy or just prone to life-threatening idiocy. What the hell is that god awful wet dog smell.” 

Alice rambled on. She wasn’t concerned about revealing her power to Maisie, she had a vision last year when she was at dinner that Edward wouldn’t just tell her his power but all of theirs.

“Alice, calm down. If you saw Mai jumping off a cliff, it was purely recreational.” Bella intervened. “Jacob was just dropping me back home to make sure Victoria didn’t attack.”

“Victoria. But I didn’t see… It’s you. I can’t see past you and your pack of mutts.” 

Alice turned her attention to Jake. She could clearly tell where it was coming from now.

“You mean our pack?” Maisie asked, a little offended. She knew vampires and werewolves didn’t get along but it still hurt. 

“Our?”

The confusion was clear on Alice’s face. Quileute females didn’t become wolves. She got in closer to Maisie and frowned a little. The smell was definitely coming from Jacob but underneath the sweet smell of the girl's blood was a little woodsy. 

“I’ll leave you three to have a reunion,” Jacob said as he headed into the kitchen. “I’ll go answer the phone.” 

He knew Bella adored Alice and would do anything to make her happy, so he bit his tongue. And Maisie? Before he was a wolf he didn’t care what she did with the Cullens. Now, he tried to be civil because he knew his sister was too soft to hate them like the rest of the pack. Maisie heard the ringing on the line go dead as Jacob picked up the call. She was half focused on Alice, half listening to whatever Jacob was saying. 

“Charlie? He can’t give a message to Billy right now, they’re both out.” 

Billy? Their dad? Who was calling about their dad? 

“Planning a funeral… hello?” 

“Jacob, who was on the phone?” Maisie asked her brother as he entered the living room again. 

“Don’t know. Hung up as soon as I said dad and Charlie weren’t available.”

“It’s just recreational?” Alice was grilling Bella about cliff-diving. 

“It’s safe—” Alice stopped mid-vision before snapping out of it. “We need to go now!”

“Alice, what is it?” she could see the panic written on her friend’s face. 

“It’s Edward! He thinks you’re dead. Rosalie told him why I came here. We have to go.” 

Alice pulled Maisie towards the door but Jacob grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She was too soft to hate the Cullens but he wasn’t going to risk her life for a leech. Especially when neither one of them knew why Maisie was needed to get Edward. 

“Jacob, someone is going to die.” 

“A leech. A killer is going to die. Why does he need you anyway?”

“I don’t know but I can’t let a friend die.”

“And if you die because of him?” 

“I won’t Jacob.” 

“And how do we know that, Maisie?!” 

Alice gently removed her arm from Jacob’s grip. “I’ll make sure of it. We need to go quickly Maisie, Italy’s a long flight.”

Jacob let out a dry sardonic laugh. “ITALY? I’m to take a leech’s word on my sister’s life in a foreign country.”

“I’ll be back, Jacob.” 

She started out the door with Alice, already trying to imagine where her passport was in her room. 

“What about Embry?” Jacob called, stopping her in her tracks. “The pain he’d be put through if anything happens to you.”

Jacob was right. Anything that happens to an imprint affects the wolf tenfold. If she were to die, Maisie could only imagine what would happen to Embry. She worried it would be the most painful death. But she couldn’t let Edward die either. Alice came to her for a reason. For whatever reason it was, Alice didn’t think anyone but her could save him. 

“Then I’ll make sure I come back unharmed. Please don’t think about it, Jake. I don’t want to cause Embry any pain.” 

Jacob nodded. He would try for Maisie and Embry.


	9. Chapter 9

“Was a fancy yellow sports car really necessary to rent?” Maisie asked as Alice sped through the streets of Italy. 

“It was the fastest on the lot… the Volturi refused him.” 

Alice had caught Maisie up to speed on specific vampire knowledge the pack didn’t have information on, especially the Volturi. 

“That’s a good thing then?”

“No no.” Alice pushed the car as fast as it could go. “He’s going to make a scene. Show himself in front of the humans.”

“How much time do we have?”

“He’ll do it at noon, when the sun is at its highest peak.” 

Alice parked the car when it could no longer fit through the streets of Voltaire. She and Maisie ran, Alice careful to make sure all her coverings stayed in place. They kept having to push people out of the way. 

“Why are they all in red cloaks?”

“St. Marcus Day Festival. They commemorate the exposure of vampires in their city. It’s what makes this perfect. The Volturi would never let him get far enough to reveal himself.” 

Maisie and Alice moved even faster, knowing time was quickly running out. 

“He’ll be under the clock tower. I’m right behind you Maisie. But you need to go first, he needs to hear you coming first. If it’s me, he’ll think I’m lying and rush into it.” 

She could see Edward standing on the top step of the entrance to the clock tower. The buttons on his blue shirt were undone. 

_Edward_ , she screamed his name in her head as loud as she possibly could. 

Edward looked up slightly as if he heard her. But he didn’t see Maisie, the red cloaks were blocking his view. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. She pushed faster, allowing a little bit of the wolf side to kick in. Without much thought, she tackled Edward back into the protecting shade of the clock tower. 

“Maisie?” Edward asked in disbelief as he clutched her head to his chest. “I thought you were dead, Alice saw you…” 

He could feel the girl's heartbeat, smell the sweet blood that linked her to him. He saw the look of fear on her face from Alice’s vision when he first met her. This was the cause of her pain and he felt more sorry for even leading her here. 

“I’m very much alive, Edward. It’s not a mirage. I’m here, I’m here—” 

Maisie looked Edward in the eye and all time stopped. Whatever the pack’s theories were about her imprinting were wrong. Maisie was sure she’d float away if Edward stopped looking at her. Gravity no longer held her to the Earth, he did. And for once she didn’t want to pull away from his eyes, but get lost in the gold forever. 

Edward smiled at her sugary sweet thoughts, worried about how sickly he looked. Alice came running up behind her. Maisie and Edward got to their feet and he began to button up his shirt and roll down the sleeves, hiding every inch of it from sunshine. Maisie sniffed the air, disgusted. Vampire and its smell was not like the Cullens. It was like the redhead. The scent of a vampire that drank human blood. 

“Let’s go, before you can think to cause another scene,” Alice said. 

Before they could move Edward uttered one word: Jane. 

The three of them turned around to see a blonde girl flanked by two much larger men. 

“Aro sent me to see what was taking so long.” 

Maisie didn’t like the tone in her voice. Edward placed his hand on her lower back to guide Maisie to follow the strangers. 

“It’ll be best if we do what they say.” 

They uncomfortably packed into the elevator. Maisie reached for Edward’s hand, needing her anchor. She welcomed his freezing skin against hers. She needed something to keep her present in the moment, keep her alert. When they exited the doors, a woman at the reception desk greeted them in Italian. The strange vampires didn’t pay the woman any mind.

“Is she human?” Maisie whispered to Edward. 

He nodded. 

“And she knows…and she wants to be…” 

Maisie was in disbelief. There would be only one reason a person would knowingly work for the Volturi. She didn’t think, couldn’t fathom, someone wanting to be turned into one of the creatures. 

“And so she will be,” one of the strange vampires said. 

“One of you?”

“Or dessert.” Jane smirked as the doors opened to a large room. 

At the end were three vampires sitting on throne-like chairs. They were all permanently frozen at various ages: one closer to Maisie and the Cullen siblings, one around maybe Charlie’s, and the last looking older than time itself. 

“Caius, Aro, and Marcus,” Edward whispered to her. 

The man Edward pointed out as Aro stepped down from his chair. 

“Oh, I do love a happy ending.” Aro took Edward’s hand from Maisie's. “Her blood sings to you, yet it makes me thirsty. How can you stand to be so close?”

“It’s not without difficulty,” Edward admitted. 

“I can see that.” 

Edward looked back at Maisie. “He can read every thought in your head just by touch. And now you know everything, Aro, get on with what you want.”

“You can read every thought like me, yet hers are sometimes fuzzy. And our sweet Alice can’t see her future at all… I wonder if our dear is an exception to my gift as well? May I?”

Aro didn’t give her much of a choice as he grabbed her hand. A pin could drop in the room and it would sound like gunshots. Aro looked at where he held her hands and then looked her in the face. Blood red eyes. Eyes Maisie would gladly rip out the skull they sat in. 

“Marvelous. I see… nothing. So what shall we do now?”

Marcus sighed. “You already know what you’re going to do.” 

“She knows too much. The human is a liability,” Caius spat out. 

“No.” 

Edward took her hand to run but she fell to the ground in pain. Aro gasped. 

“Immune to powers of the mind but not of the body.” 

“Let her go. Kill me instead,” Edward offered. 

At his words, the wolf in Maisie snapped. The pain caused by Jane and the pain of Edward’s pleas caused her to shift. Edward was in shock, he hadn’t seen this in her thoughts since she’d been in his arms. Alice knew Maisie could shift but had yet to see her wolf. The rest of the Volturi were shocked at the sight of a horse-sized wolf. 

She was russet in color, just like Jacob, but with black markings on her paws and the tips of her ears. The same way she hadn’t grown much with the phase as a human, due to how spontaneous and unnaturally it occurred, her wolf stood smaller than the others. Maisie's fur long and shaggy since she hadn’t had a chance to cut her hair. The shock of a wolf caused Jane to stop using her power. 

“She says anybody touch me, she’ll go for your head first,” Edward translated. 

“You’d give up your life for someone like us? A soulless monster? Your sworn enemy,” Aro said as if he couldn’t understand the concept. 

“Kill her, brother, and get it over with,” Caius said, bored. 

“You can see it yourself, she’s not human. She lives in the supernatural world like us,” Edward spoke. “Not a single law has been broken.”

“Can we continue to let an enemy of ours know exactly who we are? Where we reside? Our strengths and weaknesses?” 

“What if she wasn’t an enemy? What if I turned her myself when the time came?” 

“When the time comes? A drop of your venom is probably potent enough to kill her. You’d promise to sacrifice your only love?”

Edward was getting angry. The sweet talk and empty promises should’ve soothed Aro’s ego. Aro should’ve let them go, if it was anyone else he would’ve let them go. All Aro wanted was for him and Alice to join the Volturi. Both because of their powers, he had nothing like them in the guard, and to have the last word on Carlisle for leaving the Volturi. 

“Let them go, Aro. No laws were broken, no harm was done. Let them return to Carlisle,” Marcus called out, exhausted. 

Marcus was potentially the one vampire in the room Maisie felt sorry for. Not just because he was trying to help them, but because he seemed over it all. She could only imagine how many years he had lived, how he was weary of his immortal life. 

“If she can walk out without causing a scene, then they’re free to go. You’d be right, I’d see no laws broken,” Aro said looking at Maisie.


	10. Chapter 10

Maisie felt the shift of her bones back into a much smaller body as the cold tile pressed against her palms. Maisie refused to look up from the ground until she had something around her. She wouldn’t let herself be seen so vulnerably by all those red eyes. Edward ripped the coat off of the guard Felix and helped Maisie into it. When she entered the elevator, she let out tears she had been holding. Edward pulled her close. He could hear all the thoughts she exposed to him. 

She had only shifted back once in front of anybody else but the nakedness of being on the tile floor surrounded by her enemies as if she was on display left her humiliated. The initial phase wasn’t even of her own intention. Jane’s powers compelled her. She had never felt so much pain in her life. No one should ever have to— 

“Embry! Alice where’s my phone?” Maisie asked quickly as her friend dug through her purse. “Alice, now!” 

Embry picked up on the first ring. 

“Maisie! Are you okay? I was on patrol and I felt… where are you? Jake said you had to leave for something.” 

“I’m fine. I’m fine but are you okay? I know that what happens to an imprint…” 

Edward’s jaw clenched.

“I’m okay. Pain happens tenfold to me so I know how in danger you are. I was worried when it left as quickly as it came. If you’re fine, I’m fine.” 

“I’ll be home in a day? My plane ticket leaves later today, I’m not sure if it’ll be tonight your time or tomorrow morning.” 

“Where exactly are you, Mai Mai?”

“Italy… someone needed my help… I had to… Embry, remember how when you first phased you trusted me on a need-to-know.” 

“Is this a need-to-know?”

“Very much.”

“Okay. I’ll see you when you get home. I love you.” 

Embry hung up before Maisie could say anything else. She scrunched up her face knowing those were his last words to her. She couldn’t say it back, she could never say it. Not in the way Embry wanted. She shoved her phone in the pocket of the guard’s coat. Maisie kept her face down as the receptionist led a group of poor tourists into the elevator that they just came off of. Alice kept Maisie's head forward while Edward blocked her view of the elevator. 

* * *

Maisie picked at her new sweatpants as she waited for Edward and Alice to get through the metal detectors in the security line. Both Cullens insisted it was no trouble to buy the girl designer clothes like they were wearing. They only backed down and let her buy her touristy sweats when she told them she preferred to fly in comfort, remembering she needed sleep. 

Maisie took the window seat, Alice taking the aisle, and Edward in the middle. As soon as the plane was in the air, Edward lifted up the arm rest that separated him and Maisie. Her werewolf appetite provided a perfect cover as Alice and Edward passed their in-flight meals to her. Edward waited for Maisie to finish eating and for them to turn off the lights in the cabin before he asked what was weighing on his mind. 

“You’re Embry’s imprint?” 

Maisie couldn’t speak but she already knew Edward could read her mind. 

“And he’s not yours.” It wasn’t a question. “I heard him on the phone with you.”

“What do you want me to say, Edward?” 

“I told myself I don’t have the strength to stay away from you. And I let you push me towards another woman, thinking I was doing the right thing for you. I don’t think I can stay away from you again. I don’t want to stay away from you again.” Edward sighed. “ _La Tua Cantante_.”

“I’m his imprint.” 

“You’re my blood singer… I’m sorry, that came out harsh.” 

Edward threw the airplane blanket over her. Maisie looked down at her hands. He couldn’t read her. Partially because the thoughts were a bit fuzzy, and partially because he didn’t want to pry. He was scared he’d push her too far away. Edward really didn’t care who she was, wolf be damned. She was his and he was hers. 

“You have a primal instinct towards me,” Maisie spoke carefully, trying to process what she was saying herself.

“My blood is yours. But I’m Embry’s imprint, his other half…” she began to repeat the saying repeated to her. 

“…his new gravity, what holds him to Earth.”

“He would be anything for you. A lover, protector, friend,” Edward finished. “And if I wanted you to be more than friends? A lover?” 

Edward cupped Maisie's face lightly. He pressed his lips against hers. She couldn’t pull away, the want of her imprint was too strong. She let Edward kiss her some more before she reluctantly separated. She rested her head in the crook of his neck. 

“Please don’t make me choose, Edward. Because you know where my new center of gravity is. You know it’s going to be you and I don’t know if I can do that to him.”

“I want you to be happy. Isn’t that what he would want too? If you wanted a friend?”

“It’s more complicated than that. Embry trusted me with his secret before I was a wolf. I’ve been with him for so long, I don’t know if he can go back to before.”

“Can I ask you one more thing? And then I’ll drop it.”

“You can ask me ten hundred more things.”

“Have you ever felt the same way about Embry as he does you? Have you ever kissed him like that?”

“No,” Maisie answered honestly. 

Edward slumped a little in his seat so her head would be more comfortable against his shoulder. He tucked one of her legs that slipped from underneath the blanket back onto the seat and kissed her forehead. She unconsciously snuggled harder into her imprint making him smile. 

Alice drove up to the Cullen house. It would only be Maisie, her, and Edward there for the night. The others would be finding their way back home in a matter of days, Alice has texted them on the plane.

“Please stay, just for tonight.”

Maisie would have to owe Jacob an apology for making fun of him and Bella. Anything Edward wanted, she wanted. This is what it was like with Sam and Emily, Jacob and Bella, Jared and Kim. Not with her and Embry, not from her. 

“I’ll be right back, we don’t have any food in the house,” Edward said sheepishly. 

He came back with drinks and snacks for Maisie. 

“For someone who hasn’t touched a stove since the 1900s, this is a really good cappuccino.” 

She sat on the couch. Maisie refused to go to Edward’s room until she ended it with Embry. This was already the second time she kissed Edward, she didn’t need to crawl into bed with him. Alice left the house to help Esme, Jasper, and Carlisle pack up everything in Denali. 

“It took more tries than I would care to admit.” 

Edward scooted closer to her, he had a year of kisses he had to make up for. As soon as Maisie finished the cup, Edward took it from her hands. Maisie saw him pull at his bottom lip before leaning in. She bent her head so Edward kissed her forehead instead.

“Let me break it off with Embry first. I won’t disrespect him.”

Edward backed off. He was too in a hurry. He forgot he was available and she wasn’t. No, he didn’t forget. He purposely ignored it. But Maisie's thoughts he couldn’t ignore. Her thoughtfulness, the sweetness was part of the reason he loved her past just blood. He wasn’t going to be the one responsible for tainting her mind, ruining any piece of that sweetness. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes.

“The jet lag’s setting in,” Edward said looking at her. 

“Tell me a story.” 

Maisie pushed Edward back slightly on the couch so she could sleep in his arms, using his chest as a pillow. Edward grabbed the blanket set.

“My body temperature burns at 108 but you still cover me in blankets.”

“Because you get goosebumps if I touch your bare skin for more than a few seconds. What story do you want to hear?”

“One about your past. Who was Edward Cullen before he was a vampire." Maisie's words slurred as she got more tired.

“Edward Anthony Masen Jr. A foolish but proper boy who took piano lessons in Chicago. Do you want funny or serious?”

“Mmm, funny.”

Maisie's eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep as Edward told the story about how he almost killed his instructor’s cat who was hidden inside the baby grand piano.

* * *

Maisie left her sweats at Edward’s house and changed into some clothes that didn’t smell like him or Alice before heading to Emily’s. Jacob kept on his promise not thinking about the details of when she left that night. Embry pulled Maisie into a bear hug when she entered the house. The rest of the pack was happy to see her but they stayed eating breakfast at the table. She couldn’t reciprocate any feelings as he kissed her passionately. 

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. 

Embry pulled away. Before he was her boyfriend, he was her best friend only second to Jacob. He knew what Maisie's words meant, the hidden messages in the creases of her frown. More importantly, he could feel it. If an imprint’s emotions run strong enough, the wolf could feel it. It didn’t just have to be pain. 

“I knew it would come to this. When there was no shift in your eyes when you looked at me. I just thought I had more time.”

At Embry’s words, Sam looked up. “You imprinted on someone?” 

The rest of the pack looked at her in shock. First female wolves, next a different imprint. It was a lot to process. Maisie turned back to her best friend.

“You’re not mad?”

“I don’t think I could be if I wanted to. I just want you to be happy. Is that what you are Mai?”

“I think so.” She nodded half-heartedly, she knew Embry wasn't fine. He called her Mai instead of Mai Mai. 

“Then I’ll learn to be happy. You still haven’t cut your hair yet, I bet your fur is shaggy as hell.”

Embry changed the subject before she could say anything else. Maisie sat down on the floor of the living room. Emily tied her hair back in a low ponytail. Maisie stopped her. 

“Wait, I want Jake to cut it.” 

Her brother let go of Bella and looked at her surprisingly. “Me? Are you sure?” 

“I cut yours. Ephraim Black’s great-grandchildren. We’re in this together.” 

Jacob nodded and took up Emily’s spot on the couch. 

“To the shoulder. Not as short as Leah’s.”

“It’ll be a bit long when you shift,” Jacob said but he cut where she told him. “Mai, walk with me? We’ll be right back, you guys.” 

Jacob set down the scissors and you walked in the woods with him. 

“You imprinted in Italy,” Jacob stated. Not questioned. “Who?”

“A person worlds away.”

“I’m sorry, Mai Mai. Being away from an imprint can be rough, we all feel it with Jared and Kim… maybe this can make up for a little bit?”

Jacob held up an anklet with a golden medallion of the pack’s symbol on it. Jake knew his sister didn’t like the tattoo. And Maisie was honestly a little afraid of how painful it was for wolves to get one. She smiled at him as she slipped the anklet on. Maisie felt a pang in her throat at the thought of lying to Jacob, to any of the pack. But she knew better. 

“I promise I won’t think about the imprint. We don’t need another Jared.” 

Jacob laughed. “Much appreciated, twin. Much appreciated. One day you’ll have to bring them to us.”

Maisie smiled at Jake but it didn’t reach her eyes. Edward Cullen would never meet her family.


	11. Chapter 11

The Cullens’ house fascinated Maisie. How a place was so open and light when it could pose a risk to all of them. How they felt so safe in the woods that they let down all guards. It was a sunny day and the curtains were drawn up. 

She was glad when Jacob wasn’t in the house when she awoke. With her dad at the docks and Jacob already with Bella, she didn’t have to think of a lie in case someone asked where she was going. 

Maisie requested that Edward move the piano more into the light while she sat in the windowsill drawing him. She wanted to see how his skin glittered. It was something she heard of but didn’t get to see. Edward hated it until he saw himself through her thoughts. Alice smiled slowly seeing glimpses of Maisie in her visions again. The more she and Edward connected, the more the wolf let Alice in. Edward looked at the golden anklet that sparkled like his skin. He noticed it the first time she came over after ending it with Embry:

_Maisie carefully snuck out of the house. Jacob and Billy knew she was going shopping in Seattle, Angela wanted to redo her bedroom. Or at least that’s the lie the pack was told. Embry offered to come with but Maisie told him next time, when she was shopping for her own bedroom._

_She purposely stomped in the stream that separated Cullen and Quileute territory, whatever threw people off her scent. No one was supposed to be on a patrol the whole morning— it was a rest day— but she wasn’t taking chances. Maisie rung the doorbell to the Cullen house. Edward opened, happy to see her. He honestly didn’t expect her back so soon._

_“You cut your hair.” He took a strand between his fingers._

_“Do you not like it?”_

_Maisie rolled her eyes at her own question. She sounded just like Jake who had grown it out a little bit after Bella mused one day she liked it long. Sometimes the imprint made her sound more needy than she would like._

_“It suits you. Would you like to come in?”_

_All the other Cullens were waiting in the living room. It felt nice to see the siblings Maisie hadn’t seen since she became a wolf, as well as finally meet Edward’s adoptive mother Esme. Edward gave a house tour. They ended at his room._

_“You have quite the music collection.”_

_“I’ve had time to collect.”_

_One of Edward’s walls was lined with bookshelves filled with records and CDs. Maisie picked out a record from her favorite artist and gently placed it on the record machine, moving the needle onto the vinyl. She sat down on the large bed as the music started. By the window, she spotted a minifridge— newly installed. If Edward could blush he would as his blood singer scrutinized every bit of his room._

_“When are they expecting you back?”_

_“They’re not. They think I’m shopping with Angela in Seattle. I’m all yours today.”_

_Maisie poked around the minifridge picking out a small container of raspberries and an iced coffee drink._

_“That’s going to have food every time, right?” she asked as she walked back to the bed, where Edward had finally taken a seat._

_Edward chuckled. “I’ll make sure it’s fully stocked.” He picked up a raspberry to feed her._

_“What would happen if you ate real food? People food?” Maisie asked after swallowing the fruit._

_“It tastes like cardboard. Bland and with no nutrition. On people food alone I’d starve.”_

_She nodded in contemplation. Edward grabbed her hand, hot to the touch. Vampires were sensitive to heat, Maisie's high temperature a solid defense mechanism against them. Every touch was like liquid fire but he welcomed it. The same way she welcomed the chill to her bones wherever he touched her skin. Edward kissed her fingertips._

“Ed, stop looking at me and turn back to the piano,” Maisie whined. 

“I thought you already finished the sketch.”

“Your skin. The sparkles, I need you to stay still to catch the sunlight right… thank you, Esme.” 

Esme had placed a salad in front of Maisie on the windowsill. Edward turned his head back to the original position she asked him to. She smiled up at him as he started playing Debussy’s “Reverie”, the piece had briefly crossed her mind a moment ago. 

The Cullens wanted to preserve the scene of the two of them forever as they looked on from the living room. Carlisle was the happiest, all his children had found their mates. Maybe it was because they knew her before she shifted or just because she was Edward’s blood singer, but they didn’t even care that Maisie was a wolf. She set down the marker and flipped the sketchbook around. 

“Does my hair really look like that?”

“You use a lot of product.” 

Edward smiled as he walked over to her. He fiddled at the anklet on her left foot. Maisie let Edward flip through the sketchbook while she ate the salad. There were many different pictures of her friends, family, the pack in wolf form. Doodles and still life. Random swatches from when she was testing out how colors blended together. Edward kissed Maisie, enjoying the stinging heat against his lips. He pulled her into his lap so he could kiss her deeper. 

“Soooo, do you want us to leave?” Emmett interrupted. 

Maisie and Edward laughed against each other’s lips. Unenthusiastically she pulled away from him when her phone rang, answering it without really paying attention.

“Hello?”

“Mai Mai? We still going to the beach?”

“Shoot, yeah we’re still going Embry. Sorry, had a late start today. Everything’s a bit behind.”

When Maisie said Embry, Edward’s hands involuntarily gripped her hips tighter. The Cullens all snapped their heads back in her direction. 

“No problem,” Embry said. Maisie could picture him shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m not at the house right now, um—”

“Yeah I know, I’m outside it right now. No one’s home. Do you need me to pick you up? Where are you?”

“No, no,” she said hurriedly. “I’m at Jessica’s… yeah the one looking at colleges on the east coast. Yeah, said I’d help her sort through options so I took my car… mmm, she’s not super far. Give me thirty minutes? Cool, there’s a slightly discolored panel on the side of the garage door, do you see it… yeah? The spare key is taped to the other side if you just wiggle it a little. Wait in the garage, it’s nicer than the porch, and there’s snacks. I’ll see you in a bit. K, bye.” 

Maisie hung up the phone and looked back to a slightly disappointed Edward. 

“You have to go now?”

“I promised Embry I’d go to the beach with him.”

“Is it really necessary? He doesn’t see you enough with the pack?” 

Edward asked before he kissed her again. She didn’t have to be a mind-reader to know Edward felt a bit jealous. Embry needed quality time outside of the pack. All imprints needed individual time to keep themselves strong and healthy. It’s why Jared visited Kim at college every now and then. Why after Paul imprinted on Rachel Black when she came to visit their family, he had to FaceTime her damn near every weekend. 

“He’s my friend and it’s the beach. I’m his imprint, Edward.”

He frowned at Maisie's words even though he knew there was nothing he could do. He loved her unconditionally and he could hear it in all her thoughts that she felt the same. But he would always have to split his time with Embry. Edward felt selfish, he wanted them all to know so that he and Maisie could be left alone. So she wouldn’t have to pull double duty. So he no longer had to think about her spending time with her wolf, Embry— who was trying his hardest to be what she wanted but wasn’t sure if he could. Alice didn’t like it because she couldn’t see Maisie at all when she was with the wolves. She held her boyfriend’s face in her hands.

“And you’re mine. You know, Sam gave me a break from patrol for two days, I’ll come back after dinner. I’ll stay over.”

“They won’t look for you?”

“I’ll make something up. I really have to go now.” Maisie pecked Edward on the forehead. “I need time to wash your stink off me.”

The Cullens all huffed out a laugh but Edward let her go. 

Maisie didn’t just tell Embry to wait in the garage because it was more comfortable than the porch. But because if he was in the garage he wouldn’t be able to see her pull up the car around the other side of her house and sneak in to change. Maisie let out a breath in her room. The smell was gone now she just had to clear her mind of any thoughts of the Cullens. Embry popped up with a quickness when she appeared in front of the garage. 

“I like the board shorts,” Maisie joked. 

Embry laughed as he locked up the garage and put the key back. It had been a week or two since the two of them were alone. The only thing that kept him in perfect condition were the few minutes when the pack was late showing up to Emily’s house and Maisie's feelings. He had no clue what had her happiness on ten so much that he could feel it but he enjoyed it. Embry looked at the space between their hands. He desperately wanted to hold it but settled for placing both hands on her shoulders and leading Maisie all the way to the beach. 

She and Embry winked at each other before running full speed off of the tallest cliff at La Push’s First Beach. The water felt refreshing on impact. They both swam around, testing how long they could hold their breath underwater. When they got tired of swimming, they both laid out on towels on the sand. On the other side of the cliffs, they were hidden away from everyone. Embry and Maisie talked about nothing and everything. 

“Dinner, I was thinking we head down to Port Angeles. Catch a movie at that restaurant theater combo.” 

“That’ll have us back home pretty late.”

“You have other plans?”

“No, I was just saying.”

“Hmm, you’re not wrong though. Just a suggestion and cause Bella asked.”

“Bella?” Maisie turned her head to look at Embry who propped himself up on his elbows. 

“Yeah, she and Jake are going there. She’s worried she’s taking too much time away from the wonder twins. You two used to do everything together.”

“I’m literally in that idiot’s head twenty-four seven. And we share a garage, I couldn’t escape Jacob if I wanted to.” 

The two of them laughed. The incessant laughter made her stomach hurt and they both couldn’t stop until the wind blew by. Maisie and Embry sat up, alert. The smell was undeniable. Vampire and not the good kind. They saw a flash of red hair fly by. Both wolves shifted. Embry howled to alert the pack. By the time they reached Emily’s everyone already knew what was happening. 

When no one was paying attention, Maisie ran back to the beach to grab her bag. She momentarily shifted back to text Edward what was happening and that she wouldn’t be over anymore. It didn’t matter that Bella wasn’t his mate. The Cullens had killed James for her. The wolves had killed Laurent. Victoria was coming for the Swan girl.


	12. Chapter 12

Jacob said nothing as he and Maisie passed Alice as she left Bella’s house. He barely tolerated the Cullens for Bella and by barely tolerated it meant never seeing them. His whole plan changed when Alice went to Bella’s the other day and smelled an unknown vampire in her room. Since then, it was round the clock protection detail for Bella and an unknowing Charlie. 

Sam had all the wolves pulling double duty. Victoria hadn’t been seen in a while but they still had to look out for her while dealing with this new unknown threat. The only reprieve was Jacob didn’t mind taking up most of Maisie's shifts to watch Bella, anything to be with his imprint. So she agreed to take some of his patrol nights. Besides, when it was a lone patrol she had an excuse to at least pass by Edward’s. 

“Ready to go, Bells?” Maisie asked.

“Are you guys sure about the party? Am I not dressed up enough? I don’t want to be a party crasher.”

“You look fine Bella.” Jacob threw his arm over her shoulder. “Besides you’re council meeting crasher.”

“Then I really shouldn’t be here.”

Maisie smiled at her friend’s nervousness. “It’s a right of passage for imprints, Bells. You need to hear the stories. The tribe’s histories.” 

She left Jacob and Bella to their own log and went to sit by Seth and Leah once they reached the bonfire. Embry came a little late from his patrol but sat next to her. He gladly took the hotdog she offered him. Maisie rested her head on Embry’s shoulder while her dad told the legends she had heard a thousand times. Maisie looked over for a brief moment at her brother and Bella. She listened so intently to the story about The Third Wife, Taha Aki. 

* * *

Maisie's howl alerted everyone, including the Cullens. She had spotted Victoria on her patrol. They were fast but Victoria was clever. The redhead weaved in between Quileute and Cullen territory. No one could grab her without stepping onto land that wasn’t theirs. Even if Maisie was willing to risk the pack finding out, she couldn’t cross either. At this speed and in blind pursuit, it was hard to make out the difference in Victoria’s scent from the rest of the Cullens. Her hair was her only true difference and sometimes Maisie couldn’t see it. 

Maisie's head whipped around as she heard Paul’s growl and Rosalie scream. Emmett had jumped the cliff to try and catch Victoria. She turned around and ran at Paul, hitting him mid-jump. The impact sent Emmett back to his side and Maisie and Paul in the river.

 _ **What the hell Mai?**_ Even in her mind Paul was loud and way too angry.

**_The Cullens are not our enemy right now._ **

**_They were on our territory—_ **

**_Trying to deal with the real threat! A threat you let get away with that stunt you pulled._ **

Paul growled at Maisie making sure she saw his canines. It took everything in Edward not to make a move. Embry was by her side in an instant.

 ** _Stand down, Paul. Now isn’t the time to fight our own_** , Embry reasoned. 

**_Fine. Next time a Cullen steps on our land. I don’t care if there’s a thousand enemies against us…_** Paul looked at Edward, knowing he could read his mind. _**I’m killing them.**_

“Emmett! Never do that again, you could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Maisie yelled as she entered the Cullen house. The minute she could slip away from the pack she did. 

“I almost had her.”

“And Paul almost had you. Promise me you’ll never be that dumb again. If something happens to any of you…” 

Edward was suddenly behind Maisie as he hugged her tight. She didn’t have to finish any sentence, he heard her thoughts. If anything happened to his family, Edward would be devastated. As her imprint, his devastation would be as if a death like sadness washed over her.

“Okay, I’ll never be that dumb again,” Emmett conceded.

“Thank you,” she breathed out in relief.

“You’ve got to go again?” Edward asked before Maisie could say anything.

“Jake and I agreed that if I take his patrol tonight, I’m off the hook this weekend. Or can Mr. Cullen not wait a few days?”

“I can wait. Isn’t this your third double shift in a row, though? Aren’t you tired at school?”

“Tired? Yes. Still passing? Yes. It’s only temporary, Me and Jake’s bartering system. It’s better anyway, I’m alone on night shifts. Weekend is shared with the pack.”

“Okay. Have fun little wolf.”

* * *

Edward watched Maisie slowly wake up from where she had passed out on his bed. She stretched her arms, welcoming the relief she felt from a real sleep. 

“Was a night hunt as entertaining as you thought it’d be?” Maisie asked as she sat up. 

“Different animals but just as good.”

“Hmmm.” 

“You mumble in your sleep,” Edward said as Maisie strolled to the minifridge.

“Nothing embarrassing?” she opened the coffee drink. 

“Nothing coherent… you really want that challenge?” Edward smirked.

“I can’t believe I forgot you could read minds.”

“You really want to race?”

Maisie downed the rest of the drink. “I’m the smallest in our pack, quickest speed.”

It still amazed Edward that at her size she was the runt of the pack yet still roughly the height of a horse. If he hadn’t seen the others it would be hard to fathom.

“And I’m the fastest in my family.”

“He’s not lying,” Rosalie called out from downstairs.

“I just want to test it,” she said quietly. 

Maisie stood on the front deck of the Cullen house. She and Edward decided on a straight path from their house to the stream. No turns, no mountains or cliffs.No cheating. At the fork, Edward would take the left path and Maisie the right before meeting up again. She stepped down from the stairs and shifted into her wolf. The golden anklet that always hung a little loose on her human form fit perfectly around the hind leg of the wolf. Jacob knew exactly what length to make it so it could always be worn, so Maisie could always have the pack tattoo on her. Edward gave her a smile and they both took off. 

Maisie was keeping up fairly well with Edward before she lost him at the fork in the road. She kept going, not bothering to try and find him on his path between the trees. She gave a wolfy grin when she saw the stream before she stopped. Edward laughed as he jumped down from the tree. He ran his fingers through Maisie's fur. 

“I told you I was the fastest in my family.”

Maisie walked off to change into a large shirt and leggings behind a tree. All the wolves had clothes scattered throughout the forest, hers happened to extend into the Cullen side as well. 

“I think you cheated,” she pouted as she stepped out from behind the big pine.

“I didn’t; but if it makes you feel better you were only three seconds behind. That’s the closest anyone’s been.” 

Edward watched her hands as her fingers ran up and down his arms. He breathed Maisie in. Even after being a wolf only minutes ago, the woodsy smell was minimal. The only scent was her blood which pumped even harder as she was still breathing a little heavy from the run. Edward pushed her hair back a bit.

She was caught off guard when Edward kissed her hard. Both her hands cupped his face as his rested on her waist. He only pulled away when Maisie needed a breath, turning his lips to her neck instead. She grabbed at his shirt, trying to pull him closer as if he wasn’t already right up on her. Edward gently nipped at her ear before returning to her lips. His hands moved lower. Maisie's thoughts of more rang loud and clear in his head. 

“Jump,” Edward mumbled against her lips.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. Edward supported her like she weighed nothing, as far as his vampire strength was concerned she might as well have. He walked until her back hit a tree. Edward looked at her unsure. He could hear it in her thoughts but still had doubt. The sensation of Edward’s freezing body mixed with the harshness of the tree bark that dug into her back turned her on. Maisie rested her forehead against his momentarily. 

“Please, Edward,” she whispered.

That was enough to spur him on as he kissed her again.

“Maisie?” 

She and Edward both turned to see a barely dressed pack on the other side of the stream. Maisie berated herself for being so stupid to be with Edward by the stream. She shouldn’t have thought they were safe just because they were on Cullen territory. She should’ve been more aware of when the pack was going to start patrol. They were seething and Maisie wanted to shrink, they had just discovered her one secret. The pack watched in disbelief as she removed her legs from around Edward. Jacob was the first to speak.

“What are you doing on their side making out with a fucking Cullen!” 


	13. Chapter 13

“I can, I can explain—”

“She’s a leech lover,” Quil and Leah said at the same time.

“This is where you’ve been sneaking off to isn’t it. This is why you defended the other leech, for this one.” Paul didn’t try to hide the resentment. 

Edward could hear the worry in Maisie's thoughts. The panicked, scared thoughts. The worst-case scenarios about how the pack would take it was coming true. His first instinct was always to protect her until her thoughts became pleasant again. The instinct bulldozed over any logical thoughts when Edward pulled her close to him. Growls came from the pack as they watched Edward’s hand draw circles on her hip to calm her. Embry was pissed. 

“You rejected the imprint for him. For our enemy.” He was too blinded by his own rage to even acknowledge the sadness he could feel from Maisie. 

“It’s not like that, Embry.”

“Was I not good enough?”

“No, I swear—”

“How can you—”

“I couldn’t help it!” Maisie regretted the words as soon as she said them.

Jacob was the first to put two and two together. “No. No you didn’t actually imprint on him.”

“Imprint?!” The whole pack yelled.

Maisie confirmed when she didn’t answer. They were in disbelief, Embry most of all. There was no way she could. There was no way she could’ve kept it hidden from them for so long, hidden from him. 

“She only kept it a secret because she was afraid of this happening,” Edward addressed Embry. He had tried to stay silent but there were so many thoughts going unspoken.

“You don’t speak for my imprint.”

“Embry, please.”

“Let’s go, Maisie,” Sam spoke up. He couldn’t stand to look at the scene in front of him.

“Not until you listen, Sam. I don’t want us to—”

“We’ve listened enough. We’re leaving!”

Sam’s voice rose. Maisie was taken a bit aback. Sam had never raised his voice at her before. Even when she was just human, he was always on her side. When Maisie didn’t move Sam grew agitated.

“I said we’re leaving and you’re going to stay away from him. Let’s go. That’s an _order_.”

She felt the pull to obey Sam’s command. No matter how much she didn’t want to follow it she couldn’t stop herself from listening. Reluctantly, she slowly removed Edward’s fingers from her hip. 

“You’re the Alpha,” Maisie said slowly. 

Edward grabbed her hand before she fully crossed the stream. He slowly and sweetly kissed her. Edward felt pitiful as he heard every thought in her head. There was nothing he could do to make it better as tears rolled down her face. 

“Maisie!” Sam called.

Maisie pulled away from Edward.

“Please don’t do anything stupid,” she whispered. 

Maisie rested her forehead against his. Edward nodded and watched she walked off. Embry placed his hand on Maisie's back but she shook him off aggressively. 

“Don’t touch me.” She stormed off ahead of the pack.

Maisie was never left alone. Leah and Seth were now always on patrol with her. Jacob didn’t hesitate to go with her for lunch with Bella and her Forks’ High friends. Embry, Jared, and Quil were placed on her shift for watching over Bella’s house. Edward’s number was blocked and deleted from her phone, all of the Cullens’ numbers were. Bella tried to talk to Jacob for Maisie but even his imprint couldn’t help. The pack had their minds made up.

* * *

Maisie was sitting at the dining room table at Emily’s house drawing in her sketchpad. She, Seth, and Leah had finished up her patrol earlier that morning. The others would be done with theirs soon. As the rest of the pack entered, she flipped her sketchbook from the sketch of Edward to a blank page and started drawing something else. She ignored everyone as they passed around food.

“You don’t want to eat?” Embry hovered a plate of food right above her sketchpad. 

Maisie used the end of her pencil to push the plate out of the way and continued drawing. Embry set the plate down but kept it in her reach in case she wanted some. The pack didn’t like this Maisie. It was miserable to be on patrol with her sometimes, all her thoughts were spiteful. 

“Mai Mai, please talk to me. I don’t like seeing my imprint like this.” Embry brushed back a piece of her hair. 

“You should’ve thought of that before your Alpha commanded that I don’t see mine.” At the word _alpha,_ Maisie turned her head from Embry and stared Sam down. 

“Your imprint was a leech.”

“Is.” 

“Let it go. He’s one of them, forget about him.”

“The same way you forgot about Emily and stayed with Leah?”

“Maisie!” Jacob called her out. 

She hit below the belt and knew it. But it was what she wanted, she wanted them to feel how she did. For a brief second she saw Sam’s face twitch and it felt good. 

“Your pack is looking out for you.”

“The pack can stop.” Maisie picked up her things. She wanted to leave Emily’s house and lock herself in the garage. 

“Don’t leave,” Sam commanded. 

“Or you’ll do what, Sam?”

“Maisie, stand down.” 

“Stand down?! Jake get to see Bella everyday. Embry gets to see me everyday. What do I get? I get these stupid pictures…”

She ripped out drawings of Edward from her sketchbook. Each drawing she ripped out, she crumpled up and threw at the pack. 

“I’m miserable and for what? Because he’s not like us, a vampire. Stand down for what?”

Jacob grabbed Maisie's arm. “The pack is here for you, we’re just trying to protect you. I’m trying to protect you as your brother.”

“Well, you’re not my real brother. I am Maisie Ephraim Black, great-granddaughter of Chief Ephraim Black, only child of his first-born grandson who was given his name. Only child. So you can stop acting like my older brother, Jacob, because you’re not.” 

Maisie yanked her hand out of Jacob’s grip. She stormed out of Sam’s house, hearing Jake tell the others to let her go. That she’d cool off in no time. He knew Maisie was in the garage when he got home. It was where she went every time the two of them had a fight. Jacob said nothing as he entered. He opened the door to the new car he was working on and sat down in it. 

“You’re right. I’m not your real brother but you’re still my family.” 

Maisie and Jacob didn’t talk the whole night. When Billy came to find his kids he found both of them asleep in the garage, Jacob asleep in the front seat of the car and Maisie asleep in the back.


	14. Chapter 14

“You’re coming to graduation right? It’s on a Friday so we weren’t sure…” Jessica asked Maisie. 

Maisie and Jacob were eating lunch at Forks like usual. 

“I’m sure school will let us take the day off for that.”

“Cool. You know…” Jess took a bite of her food. “I’m surprised Edward’s not sitting with you today.” 

“We’re kind of on a bit of a break I guess,” Maisie said awkwardly. 

She knew the Cullens could hear her. She thought nothing but sweet, loving messages knowing Edward would be listening to her mind and not her mouth. The table of friends looked at her in a surprised confusion.

“Really?” Tyler questioned. “Last thing I expected from you two was a break-up.” 

“They’re on a break not broken up, there’s a difference,” Angela said. 

Jessica nodded at Ang’s comment. 

“Well I hope it’s not a long break. You two are cute together and the way he looks at you… find me a guy who looks at me like that.”

Jacob rolled his eyes and took this time to excuse himself to the bathroom not wanting to hear any more about Edward. Alice took the opportunity to approach their table. 

“I’ve decided to throw a graduation party!” She chirped from behind Maisie's chair. “After all, how many times are we going to graduate high school.”

Maisie, Bella, and Alice smiled at her words. The rest of their friends were completely oblivious. Jessica’s face lit up.

“A party at your place? I’ve never seen your house before.”

“No one has ever seen their house,” Eric said. “Party sounds great. I’m in.” 

“Perfect.” Alice clapped her hands on Maisie's shoulders. 

She felt something rough slide down the back of her shirt before Alice walked away. Pretending to scratch at an itch, Maisie pulled the piece of paper out and unfolded it underneath the table. The handwriting was Edward’s: _right after the ceremony, stay behind in the gym._

* * *

As much as Maisie loved Jessica, she didn’t listen to a word of her valedictorian speech. She clapped when everyone else clapped and waved to each of her friends as they received their diplomas. Maisie stood with Charlie and Jacob waiting for Bella to come see her once the actual graduation was over. 

“I’m going to the restroom before we go to the diner,” Maisie said. 

“Okay, Mai. Come on Jake, I want to take pictures with everyone outside.”

Bella helped Maisie out. She pulled Jacob, who couldn’t refuse her, outside while Maisie disappeared into the crowd. Jacob reminded her to meet by his car, they were all going to pile in and head to the diner in one vehicle. Slowly, everyone made their way outside for pictures and to talk. Maisie and Edward sat underneath the pulled out bleachers. She rested her head on his shoulder as he held one of her hands in his. His other played with Maisie's hair as the two of them enjoyed the silence. 

“I didn’t think you’d be able to see me. Sam’s orders—”

“Can’t be obeyed by Jacob and I for very long. He thought he wouldn’t have to with Jacob here, Sam’s an idiot.”

“He’s the Alpha.”

“I thought you knew about the tribe? My lineage.”

“You and Jacob are Ephraim Black’s great-grandchildren, chief of the Quileutes making Billy the most respected elder in La Push.”

“So you do know, you’re just slow.”

“Then enlighten me.”

“Ephraim Black. Last known shifter until Sam. Chief and True Alpha. It’s in our blood. Sam’s in my position and when I refused it should’ve been Jake’s. Neither of us wanted to be in a pack, let alone lead it. Sam’s Alpha by default but it’s mine by birthright. You can never truly command a True Alpha.”

Maisie lifted her head to look at Edward. “Maybe I should’ve taken the position. I wouldn’t have to hide with you now.” 

“You would’ve hated it. I can already see the conflict in your head.” 

“But I could’ve commanded them to let us be. An Alpha and I could command anyone for anything.”

“What would you command me to do?” Edward smirked as he watched her eyes flit from his eyes to his lips. 

“Kiss me.”

Edward kissed Maisie's temple and cheek before he made his way to her mouth. She shivered hard under his touch, it had been a while since she felt the cold skin against hers. 

“Jacob’s looking for you. He’s coming down the hallway.” Edward pulled away. 

“This is shit,” Maisie muttered as she dropped her forehead onto his shoulder. . 

“It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault, at least we had right now.” 

“I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

* * *

Going over to the Cullens’ house for a graduation party wasn’t nearly as fun as it should’ve been. Of course Jacob was allowed over as Bella’s boyfriend. Unfortunately he brought along Quil and Embry, Maisie's famous protector. She wasn’t let out of their sight. The only people she could actually talk to were the humans. Maisie managed to sneak a smile at any Cullen that passed by. She saw Alice on the stairs looking at nothing. Embry put his arm out to block her. 

“Unless you want her to expose what they are in front of everyone, you’ll let me go,” Maisie said quietly. 

Embry and Quil let Maisie go to her. 

“Alice?” Maisie raced over to her, Bella followed closely behind. “What did you see?”

“The decision’s been made.”

“What’s going on?” Jacob asked. 

Everyone waited till all the party guests had left to hold a little meeting on the back porch. 

“So we’re not going to Seattle?” Emmett asked. 

“No, they’re coming here, soon. We have two weeks, if we’re lucky.”

“This could turn into a bloodbath,” Carlisle said. “Alice, can you see who’s behind it?”

“I don’t think I recognize anyone… wait one, Riley Biers.”

“That’s the first boy that went missing in Seattle. Charlie’s been working on that case for a while now,” Bella said.

“They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision,” Edward told Alice. “Either way the army is coming and there aren’t enough of us to protect the town.”

“Hold up. What damn army?” Jacob asked. 

“It’s not just a rogue vampire. Newborns, our kind,” Carlisle explained. 

“What are they after?” Embry asked from beside Jacob. 

“They were passing around Bella’s sweater,” Alice recounted her vision. 

“And what does that mean for us?” 

“An ugly fight. Lives lost,” Carlisle said. 

Jacob turned to look at Maisie, Quil, and Embry; they all nodded. “Alright, we’re in.”

“What? No, you’ll get yourself killed, no way,” Bella protested. 

“We weren’t exactly asking for your permission, Bells. It’s our job, babe.” 

“Jacob, do you believe Sam would agree to an understanding?” Carlisle asked him. Jacob contemplated but nodded slowly.

“And the others?”

“As long as we get to kill some vampires,” Jacob responded. 

“Jasper?” Carlisle turned to his youngest son. 

“They’ll give us the numbers, the newborns won’t know they even exist. It’ll give us an edge.”

Edward reached for Maisie as they were leaving. Both Embry and Jacob blocked him before he could even touch her. 

* * *

The wolves were ready to start training as soon as possible. Everyone agreed to meet in the woods on the Cullens’ side of the treaty line. The pack snarled and grumbled as they walked to wherever the Cullens said to meet, they could see the little bundles of Maisie's clothes left around the woods. They finally reached the clearing. 

“They don’t trust us enough to be in human form,” Edward said, reading Sam’s mind. 

“They came. That’s what matters,” Carlisle said. “Edward, can you translate what they’re thinking?”

Edward nodded and Carlisle turned to face the pack.

“Welcome. Jasper has a good amount of experience with newborns. He’ll be able to teach us how to defeat them.”

“They want to know how the newborns are different from us,” Edward translated. 

“They’re a great deal stronger than us because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first seven months of this life,” Carlisle said. 

Jasper stepped up to explain more. 

“Carlisle’s right. That’s why they’re created. A newborn army doesn’t need thousands like a human army, but no human army can stand against them. Now the two most important things to remember are first: never let them get their arms around you, they’ll crush you instantly. And second: never go for the obvious kill, they will be expecting that and you will lose… Emmett, you’re first.” 

Everyone backed up to give Jasper and Emmett room to spar. 

“Don’t hold back, Emmett.”

“Not in my nature.” 

Emmett ran fast at Jasper. Jasper braced himself as Emmett threw him in the air and he hit the ground. Jasper sprung up quickly. Emmett attempted to throw a punch but he missed and fell to the floor as Jasper’s fist collided with his stomach. Jasper and Emmett sparred a bit more before Jasper called Carlisle and Edward to spar. 

The pack watched as they both ran and grabbed each other’s necks. Carlisle threw Edward but missed his next hit. Edward pushed Carlisle down to the ground. Edward stepped a little bit away, looking to Jasper to see if he did a good job. 

“One more thing,” Jasper said, “Never turn your back on your enemy.”

Jasper rolled his eyes as Carlisle got up and pushed Edward to the floor. Maisie couldn’t help but let her thoughts about Edward come to the surface as she watched him spar. The pack growled at her causing everyone to pay attention.

“What’s going on?” Rosalie asked.

“I’m fine, Maisie,” Edward answered her instead of Rosalie. 

Training continued and Maisie kept her thoughts in check. For the most part she stayed focused on Jasper and the training, occasionally looking at Edward who always smiled when he caught her looking.


	15. Chapter 15

The plan was simple. Fight the newborns, keep Bella safe. Maisie was forced to stay at the battlefield, Seth taking her spot joining Jacob and Edward in protecting Bella on the mountain. It wasn’t just because the pack wanted Maisie separated but for strategy. She had the best connection to Edward, he’d be able to clearly see the play by play of the battlefield from her eyes through the mind-link with Seth. They’d be able to see what was happening from all angles. 

“I should’ve picked a site lower down or brought more blankets. I’m sorry, Bella.” 

“It’s fine. Higher is probably safer.”

Edward looked at his friend who was shivering in her sleeping bag. Jacob came from running around the mountain, spreading his scent to cover the others. He unzipped the tent and stepped inside. Jacob crawled into the sleeping bag with Bella. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep in his warm embrace leaving Jacob and Edward to be up alone. Edward turned his head the other way, giving the two of them privacy as much privacy as he could in a tent. 

“It’s called La Tua Cantante,” Edward said, still not looking. 

“Stay out of my head.”

“Your thoughts are loud. Something the wonder twins have in common.”

“What is it? Your Cantante whatever,” Jacob pried, ignoring how Edward knew that nickname. 

“Blood singer in English. Something about them draws you to them. They carry the sweetest scent in the world to you, it’s like their blood literally sings to you. You’d do anything to have them and you just know she’s yours.” Edward picked at his hands. 

“Finish what you want to say.”

“It’s like your imprint.”

“An imprint who you also dated at one point.”

“Because Maisie asked me to. She knew this would happen before she even knew this world existed so she pushed me away. And like a fool I entertained her.” 

Edward finally looked at Jacob. 

“When she told Embry she imprinted on someone in Italy, I should’ve realized it was you. Deep down I think I knew and didn’t want to believe it. You love her don’t you?” 

“You would do anything for Bella, I would do anything for her… I love your sister.”

Jacob snorted. “I’m not her brother.”

“She didn’t mean it, she's never seen you as just her cousin. She was hurt. You’re family, her brother and dad. You and Billy are her everything.”

Jacob’s face softened. Edward looked at him confused, there were actually too many thoughts for him to filter. Jacob sighed as he settled farther down into the sleeping bag. 

“We’re not her everything anymore… It’s late. You don’t need sleep for a battle but I do.”

* * *

The real threat was over when the pack heard Jacob howl. Whatever happened up on the mountain, Victoria was dead. Alice told Maisie to use the mind-link to Jacob so they could come down. Maisie knew she had seen something. 

“How many minutes?” Edward asked when everyone reached the field. 

“A few, maybe ten,” Alice answered unsure. 

“A few minutes for what?” Jacob asked. 

“The Volturi are coming.” 

“The pack needs to leave. Maisie might’ve been a one time thing but the Volturi won’t honor another pack with wolves,” Carlisle said. 

“The quickest way ba— Leah, don’t!” 

Everyone turned to where Edward was looking. There was Leah, taking on a newborn they must have missed. Their breath tightened as the newborn went for her neck. Leah wasn’t going to make it. With a quickness Maisie ran to save her. She used all her body weight to push Leah out the way. 

The newborn’s arms wrapped around Maisie's midsection instead, squeezing as tight as it could. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she shifted back into her naked human form on impact with the ground. Embry killed the newborn with no problem. Maisie heard Jacob and Edward both call out her name but the pain stopped her from answering. She knew it was Edward who picked her up by the cold touch. 

“She needs to go home,” Jacob said. 

Embry and the other wolves stepped in front of Edward. 

“We’ll take her from here.” 

“Let him go.” Jacob wasn’t even looking at the others. 

“The leech doesn’t cross—”

“Let him take _my sister_ home,” Jacob said through gritted teeth. “Carlisle, come as soon as you deal with this. Let’s go.” 

Edward followed right behind Bella and Jacob. When Sam tried to block the way, Jacob pushed him aside. 

* * *

Everyone was outside the Black house when Jacob came back after dropping Bella off at her place. Embry had his head in his hands, Jacob knew he was going through the pain with Maisie. He flinched when he heard her scream. 

“It’s been like this for a while,” Quil said. 

“He’s re-breaking all her bones,” Sam explained to Jacob. 

Embry breathed out, it was hard for him to speak as Maisie screamed again. “The entire right side healed itself wrong. It all has to be shattered.” 

Leah was pacing back and forth. “Why did she butt in? I had it—”

“Give it a rest, Leah!” 

Paul spoke up before Jacob could. Everyone waited with bated breath when Carlisle stepped out of the house. Billy wheeled out from behind Carlisle, giving Jacob a nod. 

“The worst is over,” Carlisle said. “She’ll be alright soon, the enhanced healing will kick in soon enough. The bones have already reset themselves. I gave her morphine but the body temperature will wear it off quicker than it’ll help her.”

“Maisie? Get back inside.” Jacob rushed to her. 

Embry wasn’t too far behind her brother. He wiped at the water streaming down her face, not sure what was tears and what was sweat. Maisie's right arm was wrapped to her body to stop it from moving too much. She flinched with every breath, her ribs had suffered the most damage. The pack looked at the girl with sad eyes, it was clear the morphine had already worn off and she couldn’t handle it. 

“It’s too hot inside, it’s too hot everywhere. It hurts…”

“Leech,” Embry called over to Edward who was sitting away from everyone in the corner of the front porch. “Ice bath, party of one needed over here.” 

Edward rose up from his sitting position. He saw no ulterior motives in Embry’s head. None of the wolves tried to stop him. They watched Maisie melt in relief as Edward carefully wrapped his arms around her. She cried out in pain. Edward shushed her and kissed her shoulder, knowing that’s where the pain was killing her at the moment. She got quiet as her shoulder went numb under the touch of Edward’s lips. 

“You’re okay, Mai Mai. You’re okay,” Edward whispered. “Will you go back inside now?” 

“The cold... It’s already wearing off.”

Edward pressed his chin to her shoulder. Maisie was right. Her body temperature, even higher due to the healing, was warming up the cold spots the minute Edward wasn’t touching her. 

“Please come with me, Edward.”

He squeezed his eyes tight as Maisie asked quietly. He had never heard her that pitiful sounding. If he wasn’t supernatural, he might not have heard you ask. 

“Mr. Black?” Edward asked, looking at your dad. 

He was on their territory by invitation of Jacob, he didn’t want to push anything by so boldly walking into their house. Billy nodded. It was clear the only thing that would keep Maisie even a little comfortable through the night was sleeping on a block of ice. Edward was the only one who could provide that. 

“Come on, little wolf.” 

Edward guided Maisie back inside. Carlisle walked away once his son disappeared into the house. The pack was ready to go home knowing the worst was over for her. Billy wheeled back inside. He could sleep in peace now that Maisie was comfortable. 

“Embry, are you coming?” Seth asked. The rest of the pack had descended left the front porch leaving only Embry and Jacob. 

“I need to know she’s not hurt anymore.” 

Embry shifted. The large dark gray wolf circled around the deck before plopping down on it. Embry rested his head on his front paws. Everyone knew he wasn’t going to leave his imprint. He was ready to sleep on the deck that night.


	16. Chapter 16

The last thing Billy ever expected was that he would let a Cold One anywhere near him. But here Edward was, sitting on the couch with Maisie propped up in his arms. She had finally fallen asleep and when she did, Billy and Jacob felt okay to go to bed. 

Maisie was first in the house to wake up the next morning. Edward helped her take off the wrapping that held her arm against her chest. The arm was completely healed, her shoulder and ribs still very damaged. It took longer than Maisie would’ve liked to take a shower and get dressed. When she walked out of her room Edward was in the kitchen cooking. He smiled when she hugged him from behind. The hug was partly out of affection, mostly to numb her ribs. 

“Were you as good at cooking as you are at playing piano when you were human?” 

“On the contrary, I was complete shit. But Esme was amazing, I asked her when you first started coming over.”

Jacob and Billy entered the dining room area watching the scene between Maisie and Edward unfold. They wanted to awe and gag at the same time. Jacob walked past to grab a bowl from the cabinet. He looked down in confusion when a plate of breakfast was plopped in front of him. 

“There’s breakfast for everybody,” Edward said. 

“Thank you?” 

“Just take the plate Jacob, I’m never doing this for you again.” 

Maisie laughed a little until her ribs started to ache again. Billy accepted the food without complaint, knowing his daughter would give him hell for it later if he didn’t. Edward removed her arms from around him and turned to face Maisie with two plates. 

“Embry’s outside. Slept there all night.” 

Maisie took the plates from Edward and grabbed some of Jacob’s clothes and went outside. The giant gray wolf on their front porch was still asleep. She set the plates down and shook Embry until the wolf woke up. Embry took the clothes she gave him and disappeared behind the house.

“You’re looking a lot better,” Embry said as he came jogging back around the house.

Maisie both sat across from each other cross-legged on the deck.

“My arm’s fine. I’m going to Carlisle to check on the rest.”

Embry hummed in approval. He watched her careful and measured breathing. It wasn’t hard to tell Maisie was still in pain even without the imprint. 

“You stayed out here all night?”

“I couldn’t leave knowing you were hurt. I’m still your protector.”

“My fierce protector,” she joked.

Embry cocked an eyebrow at Maisie before the two of them busted out laughing. He quickly mumbled sorry when she clutched her side. 

“Don’t make me laugh,” she said once the pain subsided.

“You made the joke.”

Edward stepped out of the house. He held up the keys to Maisie's car and a small bag. 

“Carlisle just called your dad. He wants you to stay overnight.”

“What are you not saying?”

“There’s an X-ray in Carlisle’s home office. He wants to monitor you properly and make sure you’re healing correctly, he’s worried the mid-shift is having your bones heal not fully human… he might have to re-break a few more of them.”

“Okay.” Maisie nodded her head.

“I’ll just be in the car whenever you’re ready. Do you want me to pack anything else.”

“My art stuff. The markers and book are—”

“In the garage,” Edward said at the same time as Maisie.

“If you could just read my mind why bother asking?”

Edward said nothing. He just laughed as he walked to the garage. Embry sighed as he watched the two interact. Maisie looked at him shocked when he stole the bacon off of her plate. Embry grinned as he finished chewing. He reached his hand out and closed her mouth. 

“He’s a good boyfriend,” Embry said out of the blue. She looked at him a bit surprised, this was coming out of nowhere. 

“Embry you don’t have to pr—”

“I was so scared when you got hurt but I don’t think I saw anyone more scared than him. Maybe Jake… I’m not saying I like the leech or any of them but I want my imprint happy. He does that for you.”

“I’m sorry, Embry,” you got quiet. 

“For what?”

“Edward. Not being able to love you in the same way. Not being what you want.”

Embry brushed some of Maisie's hair back that had fallen in front of her face. “After yesterday, you are everything I want and need just by being alive. We can’t control our imprint. A lover, protector, or friend. I think we all forget it’s just about our special person.” 

Maisie tackled Embry in a hug. Her friend laughed as he gently held her. 

“Careful, careful, you’re still hurt.”

“You’ll find your person.”

“I know, but you’ll still be my best girl.”

“Is that a promise?” Maisie held out a pinky finger. 

“That’s a promise.” Embry interlocked his pinky with hers. Both of them kissed their thumbs, making the promise official. 

“Trampoline park when I get better? Just you and me. Plan?”

“Sounds perfect. Now, go get yourself healed. I can feel the pain, don’t even try to lie.”

Maisie slowly sat up. “Em, did anyone tell you you’re the best person ever.” 

“I know.”

She started to walk away when Embry stopped her. 

“If the leech ever hurts you—”

“You’ll bite his head off?”

“It’s my job.”

“My fierce protector.”

Embry howled making the girl laugh before she walked towards the garage area, her car was on the side. Edward started the car as Maisie entered the passenger’s side. 

“He’s not joking about my head is he?”

“You’ve lived a good one hundred and eight years.” Maisie gave Edward a cheeky smile as he drove off towards the Cullen house. 

* * *

Maisie's ribs were for the most part okay. Carlisle only had to re-break two. Once again she slept in Edward’s arm to numb the pain. Edward and the rest of the Cullens came back from hunting to hear the shower in Edward’s bathroom running. He had left the minute she woke up, refusing to take a night hunt while she was still in pain. Maisie had on music. The Cullens chuckled to themselves as they heard her voice and the speaker turned all the way up. She was clearly enjoying herself. 

Edward entered his room very loudly announcing his presence so Maisie wouldn’t be scared when she left the shower, although he wasn’t sure if she heard over the music. He knew she did once he heard the singing suddenly replaced with humming. He sat down and picked up a book absentmindedly reading and occasionally looking at the steam escape from under the bathroom door. Edward very abruptly lifted his head towards his bathroom door. He set his book down not believing the thoughts he heard. Once Maisie's thoughts appeared again this time directly addressed to him, Edward stood up. 

“Everyone out,” Edward said, knowing the rest of the Cullen family would hear him. 

Maisie smiled as she heard the bathroom door open. Edward changed the playlist on her phone and lowered the volume a bit. The steam from the shower fogged up the glass. The blurry outline of her body became clearer as Edward stepped closer to the shower. 

“You don’t want to enjoy your shower, little wolf?” 

“I’d think I’d enjoy it more if you joined me.” 

It was silent, except for the music. For a moment, she thought Edward would refuse. She smiled to herself when the shower door opened. Maisie turned around to face him. Heat rose to her face, this was the first time she’d seen him like this. The intimate moment was new to her, even with Embry it was never this intense. She shuddered as he ran his fingers along her shoulder. The contrast of the hot shower and his cold skin left Maisie's body feeling all sorts of ways. 

“This is a waste of water,” Edward mused. 

“It’s only a waste if you don’t clean up, I’ve heard sharing showers is very conservative. You just came from hunting anyway.” 

Maisie grabbed the washcloth and soap. Edward let her bathe him, he switched places with her and let the water wash down him. He removed the washcloth from her hand and hung it up. Edward kissed Maisie slowly, enjoying the taste of her lips that he hadn’t had since graduation. Maisie tried to place his hands on her waist but Edward wouldn’t. 

“You’re still hurt.” 

“Why’d you join me in the shower then?” 

“Because I can’t say no to my little wolf.”

“Edward, I—”

His lips crashed against hers. Edward slowly kissed down her body, pausing and paying special care to her injuries. He smiled as Maisie sighed enjoying the cool touch on the bruises. Edward looked up at her. 

“Is this alright?” 

“You already know what I think.” 

“I want to hear you say it. Is this alright?”

“Yes.” 

Maisie leaned back against the shower wall. Edward reveled in how her thoughts were scrambled as he went down on her. His name was the only thing coming from her mouth. The imprint made everything more intense. It wasn’t just her pleasure Maisie was feeling but his as well which just sent her over the edge. Edward held her up before her legs gave out on her. He stood up, his hands rested lightly on her hips as she still leaned against the shower wall. 

Maisie was breathing heavy as she slowly came down from her high. The scent of her blood flooded Edward's senses. He kissed her hard to stop himself from wanting to bite her. With his lips still on hers, he reached over to turn off the shower. Edward finally pulled away when he felt in control. 

“I think we finished washing up a while ago,” he commented. 

Maisie eyed Edward up and down. He could hear her thoughts. Edward pressed his forehead against hers. 

“When you’re fully healed.” 

“But you didn’t…” Maisie faltered off. 

“Trust me, I’m satisfied… besides, and as a vampire we get… very rough. I don’t want to hurt you.” Edward laughed as he heard her thoughts. “I’m worried about your health and you’re excited?” 

“I’m just curious how rough it can actually be.”

“Broken beds… you’re not scared little wolf… of course you’re not.” 

“I’m cold… and hungry,” Maisie deflected. 

She and Edward got out the shower. Maisie dressed in warm oversized clothes. The two went downstairs to get Maisie real food from the kitchen refrigerator. Edward sat on a high chair at the kitchen island watching her make her favorite snack, nachos. Maisie stood on the other side of the island eating. The rest of the Cullens came in, saying hi to her. Emmett clapped his hands on Edward’s shoulders but kept eye contact with Maisie. 

“Did he do good, little wolf?” 

Emmett laughed as she hid her face in her hands while Edward shoved him as hard as possible.


	17. Chapter 17

Maisie clapped as Embry did a backflip. They were at the trampoline park in Seattle now that her ribs were completely healed. She was still careful as she was jumping, Embry was the only one going full out. They eventually stopped jumping and got snacks. The two of them munched on corndogs and popcorn. 

“You’re not going to Italy are you?” Embry took a handful of popcorn. 

“Don’t worry, I never want to see Italy again. Mmm, no, we’re going to Isle Esme.”

“Isle Esme?”

“A private island Carlisle bought Esme as an anniversary gift way back when.”

Embry looked at Maisie impressed. “Wow, okay. Sounds nice.” 

She nodded and absentmindedly looked around the trampoline place, munching on the corndog. Maisie spotted the concessions waiter looking at Embry, she pretended to not notice him before she accidentally made him feel some way. 

“Yeah, I think we’re going for all of June. Then back to Forks… hey what do you think of that guy over there?” 

Embry’s eyes followed her head tilt. “He’s cute, why?”

“He’s been looking at you since we got here.”

Embry straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. Maisie rolled her eyes. She got up and started walking towards the counter.

“What are you doing?” Embry asked slightly panicked. 

“No offense Em, but you’ve got no game.” Maisie began to pull out her phone, texting Edward to FaceTime her in a minute. 

“At one point I got you didn’t I?”

“I made the first move. You’ve got. No. Game. Let the wingwoman handle it.” 

Embry sat back and let her go to the concession stand. She ordered a giant cherry slushy, while the guy had his back turned, Maisie picked up the ringing phone— putting Edward on speaker. 

“Hi, sweetie.”

Edward looked at her very confused, she had never used a pet name with him ever. He couldn’t read her mind through the phone. She made a face at him hoping he would catch some sort of hint. 

“Hi, baby?”

“What are you doing?”

“We were about to leave for a… hike. How’s the trampoline park with Em?”

“Good, I think we’re leaving soon, kind of tired. We should go to dinner when you get back.” 

“Okay? I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon, I love you.” 

Maisie blew a kiss to the phone before going wide-eyed, realizing what she just said. Edward looked at her too and before he could say anything Maisie hung up with an abruptness. She fixed her face before the guy turned around. She smiled as she took the cup, she knew he heard the entire conversation. 

“I hope this isn’t too rude but I heard you on the phone… um is that guy,” he pointed to Embry. “Not your boyfriend?”

“Who, Em? Nah, just a friend. Like a brother,” Maisie played it up. 

“Oh, is he—”

“Available? Embry’s completely single.” 

Embry looked at Maisie when she walked back to the table. She held up a napkin with the guy’s number on it, smirking at him. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Embry walked with Maisie to the Cullen’s when they got back to La Push. She gave him a hug before he ran off to start his patrol. Carlisle opened the door for her saying the others were still out. Carlisle and Esme always finished their hunts early, the others liked to goof off making it take longer. Maisie sat with Esme watching TV until the Cullen siblings came back. She pretended not to look at Edward until he blocked her view of the television. Edward bent down in front of her. He gently grabbed her chin in his hand. 

“I love you too.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. 

Maisie flopped over on the couch as Alice and Rosalie swooned. He loved messing with her in front of the family, Maisie was convinced. 

* * *

Isle Esme was more beautiful than Maisie had imagined. Edward smiled as she looked around the villa in awe. 

“So, this is all ours for a month?”

“Yep, and the boat outside will take us to the other island nearby. There’s a town there. What would you like to do first, little wolf?”

“You know, night swimming sounds exciting.” 

They had rested until the moon came out. Edward was already in the water, the shore was only a few steps away from the house. Maisie met him outside. Edward stretched out a hand to pull her into the water. She took in a deep breath mustering up the same courage she did the day in the shower. Maisie slowly removed her swimsuit before stepping into the water. 

It was like when she had first met the Cullens, she found herself shrinking under Edward’s golden stare. She rested her hands against his chest, biting her lip. Edward placed his hands on the small of Maisie's back. She kissed up his neck before reaching his lips. The minute Maisie's lips landed on his, Edward’s grip tightened. He squeezed her ass and pulled her even closer. 

She held on tight as Edward walked out of the water and back to the villa. He set Maisie down on the long ottoman bench at the end of the bed. Edward dried her off with a towel before casting it aside and attacking her mouth. She fell back onto the bed. Edward felt safe to touch her. If she was human he might’ve thought twice but all he was focused on was her and the scent of her blood. 

“Tell me what you want,” Edward mumbled as he kissed between her breasts. He hovered over Maisie.

“You, all of you.” 

As the two of them were going, Maisie knew what Edward meant by rough. The headboard underneath his left hand broke with a snap. By the time the two had finished, the entire bed was demolished. Maisie and Edward laid down on the couch in the front room. She laid on top of him, in a fluffy robe. Edward rubbed his hand in circles on her back. She lazily lifted her head and smiled. 

“I didn’t think you were serious about breaking the bed.”

“You’re okay? I didn’t hurt you, right?”

“I liked it,” she kissed him, “I don’t think I’ll get enough of that.” 

“You know Emmett and Rosalie were so bad when they first met, we couldn’t be in the house for three months straight.” 

“If I didn’t have to sleep, I’d be the exact same.” Maisie laid her head back down on Edward’s chest and felt her eyes get heavy. 

“Go to sleep little wolf.”

She didn’t hear the last thing Edward said as she drifted off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Maisie was relaxing in a bubble bath, watching Netflix on her iPad when the FaceTime feature popped up. It was from Embry. She made sure the foam covered everything before answering. 

“Hey, Em.” 

“Hey, Mai Mai. Is now a bad time?” 

“No, I’m just relaxing.”

Embry walked into Emily’s house where the rest of the pack also greeted Maisie. He handed the phone to her brother and Bella while he went to the bathroom. Maisie talked to Bella and Jake, who were finally out of the honeymoon phase of the imprint, until Embry came back. 

“How was the date with the trampoline guy?”

“Sean? It was alright. Don’t know if it’s gonna go anywhere but we’ve got a second date.”

“Well, one more date is better than no date?”

Embry nodded. “I think he’s a little uncomfortable that I’ve dated girls before.”

Maisie rolled her eyes in annoyance for her friend. Embry seemed chill about it though so she let it go. It was fun talking to the pack. Edward peeked his head into the bathroom. 

“I’m gonna try to hunt.” 

“Wait,” Maisie called to him, reaching out an arm, before he could leave. “I want cranberry juice.”

Edward pretended to be annoyed but brought her a cup of cranberry juice anyway. 

“Thank you. Love you,” she said in a very high-pitched cutesy voice. 

“Mmm hmm.” Edward leaned over to peck her lips. 

“Are we sure Mai’s the one who imprinted, you seem kind of whipped Edward,” Jacob joked while the rest of the pack laughed. 

They weren’t around to see Maisie and Edward’s interactions and weren’t used to seeing this non-stoic side to the Cullen boy. Edward ignored Jacob’s comment and left the bathroom to go hunt. Maisie continued talking to the pack until her fingertips went all pruny. Hanging up, she got out of the bath and started to dry off. Maisie had packed her suitcase but was told last minute from Alice that she added a few extra things in the front pocket. 

She finally unzipped it to see lingerie. Very fancy lingerie. With the bed broken in the master bedroom, Maisie and Edward switched to one of the guest rooms. When Edward came back, he was greeted by her in a thin white chemise slip. Maisie was laying on the end of the bed drawing doodles acting like she didn’t see him. Edward laid down on top of her, pressing gently into her backside.

“Those are pretty flowers,” he commented. 

“Yep.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen these… pajamas before.” He picked at the smooth silk.

“It’s new. Speaking of pajamas, I’m sleepy.”

“Sleepy?” Edward asked before kissing the back of her neck. “Too sleepy for me, little wolf?”

She closed the drawing pad and Edward lifted up so Maisie could turn around and face him. The intensity didn’t fade from the first time. Two supernatural beings, it was always going to be intense. Edward tried his hardest to avoid grabbing at the actual bed frame, not wanting to have to buy Carlisle and Esme a second new bed. Only a few pillows were damaged this time around.

Maisie looked down slightly embarrassed when the cleaners came around. The man looked at the master bedroom's broken bed in horror while the woman just stared Edward down. He came up behind Maisie from where she was sitting in the kitchen, resting his chin on her shoulder. She looked up at him, his gold eyes were very dark. 

“When was the last time you ate?”

“The animals here are a lot harder to catch, they’re used to predators around. I got a few small things.”

“Not enough,” she pouted. “You need more, you should spend tomorrow out there.”

Edward looked down and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll go out again tomorrow, promise. What’ll you do while I’m gone?”

“Hmm, the island’s pretty, maybe do some painting. I’ve always wanted to try watercolor.” 

Maisie was about to say something else when they heard the two cleaners arguing. She wished she understood what they were saying but Portuguese wasn’t a language Maisie knew. Edward though, knew multiple. But it wasn’t the words coming out of the cleaners mouths that were interesting, it was the thoughts especially from the female cleaner. 

“She doesn’t like me very much,” Edward whispered in Maisie's ear. “She thinks I’m going to kill you.”

The two watched as the cleaners left without saying a word, they wouldn’t even look at Edward on the way out.

“So they know?”

“The local people have their superstitions, some believe more than others.”

“I’m guessing that woman is one of them.”

Edward nodded. Maisie walked away to put on some real clothes while Edward started up the boat. The docks were crowded when they got there, it was June after all. Edward looked kind of strange covered up when they were walking around pretty exposed but other tourists didn’t pay him any real attention. 

The two had been busy exploring the nearby island, enjoying seeing other people. While Maisie loved the alone time with Ed, being from La Push she was used to people constantly being around. They sat at the restaurant eating barbecue when a random man came into the restaurant handing out flyers. Maisie gladly took one from him, it was for an outdoor party at some restaurant/bar. 

“Let’s go!”

“You like dancing?”

“You don’t?” 

Edward shrugged. “It’s fine I guess, but if you want to let’s go.” 

The party wasn’t until sundown, giving enough time to roam the stores for a better outfit. It was a dance hall, Maisie had to show up and show out. The girl might've been shy in the past but ever since hanging with the pack she really opened up; and, anyone in the pack could say Maisie was never shy when it came to dancing. They had traveled to four different stores, not quite finding the dress she wanted. Edward already had his outfit; Maisie was looking for an outfit with pizzazz. 

The flyer said the music was dancehall and samba. She wanted tight but danceable— something to compliment the music. The fifth store was sent straight from Heaven. Everything she wanted was there, including a nice set of plain black open toed heels. Edward sat patiently in the waiting area of the fitting rooms. Maisie stepped out in a full outfit sans makeup. 

“This is it.” 

She paid for the outfit and went back into the fitting room to put it on again, the store clerk was gracious enough to let her change into the blue romper there. 

“Now we just need makeup and I’m set.” 

Edward laughed. “You’re really going all out for this.”

“It’s a dance party, how can I not?”

The mall had a makeup counter as well. Since there weren’t any huge festivals, the makeup artist had an open schedule. He gladly gave Maisie a soft glam except for the red lipstick she requested. She hopped down from the chair. 

“Sun’s going down, I think I’m ready for a party,” Maisie said excitedly. 

“Not quite ready.”

Maisie looked at Edward slightly confused, he pulled a small box from his bag. He opened it revealing an anklet. It was gold like her pack anklet only instead of the pack tattoo, it was the Cullen crest flanked by two sapphires. 

“Think of it like a promise ring, I would’ve gotten a real ring but…”

Edward wouldn’t finish the statement in front of the makeup artist, he didn’t have to finish it. A promise ring would get lost if she shifted, the anklet wouldn’t. Edward bent down and tied the anklet on Maisie. Like the pack one, the anklet was slightly loose on her human form. 

“Promise anklet,” she said. 

“I promise to love you forever,” he said as he stood up. 

“You need something of mine.” Maisie looked at the two anklets. “I’ll get you a copy of the pack bracelet.” 

“Are they going to be happy about that?” 

“They’ll have to be, now let’s go. I don’t want to miss the good music.” 

The restaurant was already jumping when the two arrived. Not one to immediately jump into the scene, Maisie got drinks and sat down at one of the small tables with Edward and enjoyed the crisp night air. 

“Alright, I want all my bad girls on the floor. Show your man how you dutty wine!” The DJ announced, putting on CeCile’s “Hot Like We”. 

Maisie stood up very excited and joined the rest of the ladies on the dance floor. While she didn’t know her biological parents, dancehall CDs were in a small box of her mom’s belongings. Billy and Jacob used to get so annoyed at her blasting the CDs every Saturday morning when Maisie was younger. She had played it so much, they had the lyrics memorized. 

Halfway through the song switched as the DJ told all the people on the floor to bring their partners in. Edward shook his head fiercely as Maisie tried to pull him to the floor but he eventually caved and very hesitantly followed. She tried not to laugh as he stood there stiffly. 

“You dance like a prim white boy from the 1900s.”

Edward gave her a look. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips. 

“Just sway with it, circle your hips.” Maisie turned around in his arms so her back was against his chest. 

“I can’t sway with it,” he said awkwardly. 

“That’s not what the bedroom said last night. It’s just like that.” 

He wasn’t half bad. Still stiff but Edward had loosened up a bit. Maisie turned back around to face him as a new song came on. She smiled widely as Edward seemed to enjoy himself more. 

When they got back to the house, Maisie was still hype from the party. It was like she was ten again. It was a good thing Isle Esme was a private island because dancehall music was being blasted through the house’s Bluetooth system. Maisie's hips moved in time to the rhythm as she took off her makeup and threw on a big band tee for pajamas. Edward rolled his eyes as she tried to pull him away from cooking her a late night dinner and force him to dance again. 

He was happy she had enjoyed herself but had firmly decided no more dancing. Maisie's feet quickly fluttered around him. She soon gave up when Edward didn’t budge. She realized that her strength was no match against the vampire and he definitely let her pull him to the dance floor. Still dancing, Maisie grabbed a water from the fridge and sat on the island counter watching the back of Edward as he finished the pasta bake and put it in the oven.

Edward turned to her. Maisie reached out like a child beckoning for a hug; he obliged and stood in between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his torso.

“I had fun tonight.”

“It was fun,” Edward said stiffly. 

“Thank you for trying.” 

He chuckled as Maisie started singing the lyrics to the music still blasting. Edward cut off her singing as he kissed him. She pulled away burying her head in his chest before looking up at him and kissing him again. Edward didn’t realize how much he needed to properly hunt until her lips were on his. The primal instinct was on tenfold. It was in the back of his mind, the need to taste his blood singer. The need to kill. 

He kept kissing Maisie hoping that like last time in the shower, it would calm him down. But nothing was working, the rational side of him was slowly disappearing as his eyes started losing any little bit of color they had turning completely black. Edward’s hands gripped her tightly, it was almost painful but not enough to alarm Maisie— he was a vampire after all, she figured it was just his strength. His right hand pinned her thigh to the counter to stop her from going anywhere while his left hand worked its way into her hair. Edward smirked as Maisie's breathing quickened when his hand gripped her hair. It was a game, her scent was all he could focus on. Maisie attempted to pull away from him but couldn’t before he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, making it bleed. 

It sent him over the edge. Edward barely had any control and now it was all gone. He roughly pulled her hair, exposing Maisie's throat to him. If she had known what was going to happen Maisie would’ve phased but she tasted the blood in her mouth too late and her speed was no match to Edward’s. His mouth was on her neck and he bit hard. He only came to his senses hearing Maisie scream his name. Edward backed up abruptly, looking at her scared. He couldn’t say anything as he looked at the blood around his mouth, Maisie's blood. 

“Edward are you al—”

Pain. Pain kicked in as Maisie's hand flew to her neck. Edward ran to get his phone returning in less than a second to the kitchen where he moved Maisie from the counter to the floor. It wasn’t painful like when her ribs were broken. This pain was like fire but she couldn’t scream. Edward rocked her in his arms as he frantically mumbled for someone to pick up the phone, Maisie's body temperature was plummeting. 

“Alice? Where’s Carlisle… Carlisle? I bit her. Shit, I bit her Carlisle, I don’t know what to do. She’s not human, Aro said the venom could kill her… Maisie, no no don’t sleep baby please stay up.” Edward propped her up more. 

“When did you bite her?” Carlisle asked. 

“A minute ago, maybe two.”

“Her neck?”

“Yes.”

“Take her wrist in your mouth, you should be able to suck the venom out. I can’t think of anything else.” 

Edward did as his adoptive father said. It took three bites to the wrist before Maisie threw up on the kitchen floor. Edward finally calmed down as her body heat rose back up to wolf temp, the bite marks already closing up but scars had formed. Edward used his vampire speed to clean up the kitchen and Maisie. She was still sitting on the kitchen floor. He held her face in his hands for a moment, muttering apologies. 

“I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry. I need… I need to go.” 

Maisie grabbed at his wrist when he stood up. “No, Edward wait—”

“I don’t want to hurt you again.” 

She watched as he ran out of the house. Maisie didn’t bother chasing after him, Isle Esme was huge and like their races had proven she wasn’t faster than him. That and Maisie was dizzy. The playlist had stopped and the only sound was the ringing timer signaling the food was done. She crawled over to the oven, carefully taking out the pasta bake and sitting on the kitchen floor to eat it.


	19. Chapter 19

When Maisie woke up in the morning, the bed was empty. She knew Edward didn’t sleep, maybe he just didn’t come join her. But as she exited the bedroom and walked into the rest of the house she saw that nothing had been touched. Edward had been there very briefly, she knew when she checked the thermostat. He always turned it down for Maisie while she slept because she never remembered but always needed it cold when she slept. Other than that there was no sign of her boyfriend. 

Maisie picked up the pasta bake dish from the floor and put it in the sink. The sun was shining brightly outside and she decided to stick true to her promise to paint. As she looked up from brushing her teeth, Maisie could see her reflection in the mirror. And by virtue the reflection of the bite mark on her neck. 

It wasn’t a hickey or light bruising. It was a straight scar. And there were three matching ones on her right wrist. The advanced healing had helped the wounds but a vampire’s bite was permanent scarring, unless you had been turned from the bite. 

Maisie gathered her supplies and set up on the rocky part of the shore. The scenery of the island was perfect for her first attempt at watercolor. It was going to be a mix of ink and watercolor. She should’ve been enjoying herself but everything just seemed too still. Maisie went inside briefly to grab her cellphone while the ink portion was drying. The phone was ringing when she entered. 

“Carlisle? Yeah, I’m awake… no, I don’t feel weird at all. Um, no he's not here right now... Yeah I think we’re still extending the trip… mmm hmm, I’ll see you guys at the start of August. Okay, bye.” 

Maisie turned around to head back outside. She rushed when she thought she saw the blur of Edward go by but he wasn’t there when she reached. Maisie sighed in frustration and went back to her painting. 

The days turned into weeks of the same routine. Maisie would get up, the only sign Edward had been around would be the turned down thermostat. She’d do some yoga and then start to paint. Every other day she’d take the boat into town and come back for dinner. If she went to bed without a blanket, Maisie would wake up with one on her. But she still hadn’t actually seen her boyfriend. It had already turned into July. August would be coming up quicker than expected. Maisie was starting to become worried that she would go home alone. 

That night Maisie was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her, watching television. Takeout containers from the barbecue restaurant were littered at the girl's feet. Her eyes grew heavy and her head started to bob. She was in a half-asleep state of mind, cognizant enough to hear the beeps of the thermostat. Edward. Maisie looked over the couch to see him walking out. 

“Ed. Wait,” she said. 

The minute the words left her mouth, she knew he was going to run. She raced off the couch to try and stop him before he could leave or get too far. 

“Edward! You promised to love me forever,” Maisie screamed into the darkness of the outside. “What do you call this?! I haven’t seen you in a month. I want to go home with you, not without.”

She crouched down on the porch waiting, blanket draped pathetically over her. Maisie was about to head back inside when she heard the crunching of gravel underneath feet. She looked up to see Edward coming up with his head held down. Maisie stood up and ran to hug him. 

“Please look at me,” she pleaded. 

Edward slowly looked up but he wasn’t staring at Maisie's face. He was staring at the scar on her neck. It was like a spotlight was glaring on it and Edward was absolutely disgusted with himself. 

“I hurt you. I almost killed you,” he said as he lightly traced the scar with his fingers. “How could you want to be around me?”

“You didn’t give us a chance to talk. Can you come inside?”

“I don’t want to hu—”

“Okay,” Maisie cut him off worried that he would run if he kept punishing himself. “We’ll stay out here and talk. Why don’t you tell me what happened.”

“What happened should’ve never happened. I didn’t realize my thirst was that apparent until it was too late.” Edward swallowed. 

She placed a hand on his cheek. “This was a possibility we knew could happen.” 

“No. It shouldn’t ever be a possibility.” Edward pulled away from her. “I was selfish, you can’t ever be truly safe with me. I shouldn’t have taken you from Embry.”

Maisie huffed. 

“Edward, please. You’re my imprint, it’s not just about your blood singer. I don’t want Embry or anyone else. I want you and I knew this was a potential problem when I decided to be with you. I decided.”

“But what if I had really killed you?”

“You didn’t. I know this is hard for us but don’t just leave because of it. Don’t just leave me, you promised…”

“To love you forever. I haven’t broken that promise, little wolf.” 

“Then please come inside. We can work through this but I want you to come inside first.”

“Oka—” 

Edward was confused. Maisie didn’t know what the problem was. His gold eyes looked her in the eye and then at her body. He shook his head and stared longer. His senses were playing tricks on him, he was sure of it.

“No, that’s not… There’s two…”

“Ed?”

“There’s two heartbeats.”

* * *

“Edward! How dare you leave Maisie alone afte—” Rosalie was giving Edward an earful on the phone. 

“Rosalie, I’m with her right now. Rosalie, I need Car— Rose, Rose I think Maisie’s pregnant.”

The line went dead silent on the other end. 

“Rose. There’s two heartbeats and I know the other one’s not mine.” 

The barbecue was no longer sitting well with Maisie. She had gotten a whiff of the containers in the living room. She ran to the bathroom, throwing up in the toilet. Edward was in the bathroom in a second, rubbing her back explaining more to Rosalie and Carlisle. 

“I know it’s only been six weeks, I’m not even sure I could… are you okay, Mai Mai?” 

Maisie nodded, finally lifting her head from the toilet. She brushed her teeth and rinsed out her mouth while Edward was finishing up the phone call. It was agreed they would change their flight to next week. Maisie sat on the couch across from Edward who still refused to touch her more than necessary. His hand was resting on her ankle, the one with the two anklets. 

“I don’t think dad was expecting grandkids this early,” she tried to joke. “Or at all.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” 

“First the bites, now this.” 

It was silent between the two of them. Maisie didn’t know what to say. Edward just had to take a look inside her mind. It was a mess of trying to work out what she could say to make it right. He smiled filtering through the thoughts. Her personality was so different from his. Whereas he had shut down and couldn’t cope, Maisie was already trying to figure out how to make it all happy. 

“Are you gonna let me sleep with you or does the mother of your future child have to cool down another way?”

Edward let Maisie push him back onto the couch. He grabbed the blanket like normally and placed it over her. Maisie kissed his cheek. Edward was fairly tight-lipped when she kissed his mouth, he didn’t want to risk anything. She slumped back down. Edward picked up her wrist and kissed the three scars. There were only two thoughts of Maisie's that scared him as she went to sleep: how fast and how strong is the development of a vampire baby and how was the pack going to react when they found out.


	20. Chapter 20

Maisie's eyes flashed open and she looked around, relieved when Edward’s eyes met hers and she realized he hadn’t moved all night. His arms had stayed by his side the entire night. 

“I’ll never leave you again. I shouldn’t have in the first place.” 

Edward cringed when her first morning thoughts popped up. He didn’t realize that leaving didn’t protect Maisie but stressed you out instead. He closed his eyes as she laid back down. Part of Maisie didn’t believe him and he wasn’t sure what he could do to change that. They still had till the end of the week before going back to Forks, Maisie felt like that was plenty of time for him to disappear. He wasn’t going to leave her again; except to hunt— he would never trust himself to be around her if he had any sort of thirst. 

Maisie finally got up, wanting food. The breakfast was light and bland. It wasn’t the food that made Maisie sick, it was the smell. And with werewolf senses, she smelled everything. While Maisie ate, Edward packed. Even though there was time, he wanted everything done. It took him a minute to come to his senses as he packed. The sound of two heartbeats in the silence of the house was strong and he still wasn’t used to it. He would also be lying if he would say he wasn’t worried. 

Maisie looked fine but it was a vampire baby, a half vampire baby… and potentially half shifter. What kind of toll could that take on her body? But she was okay, at least she felt okay. Maisie was still a wolf. This couldn’t be that hard, could it? She wasn’t even showing and considering Edward could hear a heartbeat, that was kind of amazing. Even in human form, the brunt of the pregnancy was definitely being taken by the werewolf side. However, Maisie was still self-conscious, switching to looser clothing that she had and a one-piece swimsuit instead of bikinis. 

* * *

Maisie and Edward were having lunch on the boat. Like breakfast, it was very minimal and bland. Maisie had finally had enough of the light touches and just hugged Edward from behind as he steered. He visibly stiffened underneath her touch. She sighed heavily and let go, returning to the open deck/seating area at the back of the boat. Edward found a serene spot and put the boat in park, letting it gently bob in place on the water. He walked over and sat next to Maisie but she turned over. 

“Mai Mai…” 

“No.” She cut him off before he could even say anything. 

“Maisie.” He grabbed the girls' shoulder to roll her onto her back. “Baby, please talk to me.”

“Oh look, that’s the most you’ve touched me,” she sighed and sat up, facing him. “You won’t hug me, won’t kiss me. I feel like you’re only halfway here, Ed.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you again.”

Maisie took off her sun hat and sunglasses and set them to the side. “I can’t read minds like you. You’ve got to tell me everything you’re feeling.” 

Edward ran a hand through his hair. 

“You’re my Tua Cantante because of your scent. We all only have one blood singer.”

“I know Ed, it’s like my imprint.” 

“No, it’s worse. I don’t just feel pulled to you. I want you. Every time I get thirsty, I have to control myself around you. You overwhelm me. I never thought I would bi… The primal side kicked in and I couldn’t control it. When the hunter takes over it’s like I become a backseat driver in my own body. There was so much blood and you were so scared of me.” 

“What is it like?” 

Edward looked at her confused. 

“You’ve told me what happened. How do you feel?”

He looked across the water. Edward knew he couldn’t look Maisie in the eye as he said it. 

“That’s the worst part. I liked it, the taste. I wanted to stop but I literally couldn’t. It’s like I wasn’t there until you screamed.” 

He looked over at her. “I never want that feeling again. I thought because you weren’t fully human I couldn’t hurt you and I was stupid to trick myself into thinking that for one second.” 

“So is this how we live now?”

“I don’t know.” 

Maisie scooted a little closer to Edward. She released a breath when he didn’t move away. 

“Will you tell me when it becomes too much?” 

Maisie grabbed his hand. She knew Edward would say something if he was uncomfortable but she still moved slowly. Maisie sat flush against his side, their legs touching. She kissed his shoulder, his cheek, and then his jaw. While he wasn’t tense, he didn’t melt into Maisie's side like he used to. She finally kissed his lips.

Edward very carefully kissed back. He immediately grabbed Maisie's hand as she placed it on his face but he didn’t want her to stop. He grabbed her waist and pulled Maisie into his lap instead forcing her arms to rest on his shoulders. He missed her and wanted her. He let go a little more and kissed you harder. Maisie pulled away for a breath and instead of kissing her neck like he normally did when she needed a break, Edward just looked at her. He smiled back when she did. Maisie kissed him again, starting slow like before. Edward could smell her blood. The scent was starting to become overwhelming. 

“Please, stop.” 

His hands gripped Maisie's waist and she pulled back immediately. 

“Do you want me to get off?”

“No, it’s okay. Just stay.” 

He didn’t need to breathe and yet Edward was breathing rather heavy. Maisie didn’t move at all even as she was pulled slightly forward when Edward finally took his hands off her and sat back on them. 

“I’m sorry,” she said as she removed her hands from his shoulders and sat up straight.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, little wolf. I, I just need time right now.” 

Maisie went to get off when Edward’s hands snaked around her middle again. Maisie stopped and looked at him. He rested his forehead against hers. 

“I want to kiss you again.”

“Are you sure, Ed?”

* * *

Edward dropped Maisie off at Emily’s cabin. He was stopping at her house to get stuff she asked for before coming back. They knew they would have to drop the news to the pack and it was probably best if they saw Maisie alone first and he could come in a few minutes later. 

The pack greeted her as she stepped inside. They noticed the addition of a second anklet but didn’t say anything. They accepted that Edward was about to be in their life permanently. They knew it but a little part of them still hoped Maisie would let him go. Like she expected, Jake and Embry were the first off of the couch to hug her. 

“Was it fun?” Jacob asked.

“We went dancing.” 

“The Cold One went dancing?”

“I made him. They played ‘Murder She Wrote’.” 

Jacob rolled his eyes. “She’s back on dancehall again…” 

Maisie chuckled because even though Jacob sounded annoyed, he was singing the lyrics of the song underneath his breath as he sat back down next to Bella. Maisie grabbed popcorn from Seth, who complained, and popped some into her mouth. It was tasty but mild, she was thankful Emily wasn’t cooking. Maisie wasn’t sure what she would have done if those smells had hit her. 

“Where is the boyfriend?”

“He’s coming, getting clothes from the house. Dropping off my suitcase.” 

Embry stared at Maisie a little hard. She was worried maybe he could hear the two heartbeats like Edward. But if she hadn’t heard it, there should be no reason Embry or the others could. His smile when seeing Maisie turned into a deep frown, a scowl almost. 

“What is that?” 

He tilted her head up slightly. Maisie knew he was staring at the bite mark. She knew it was about to get ugly. 

“Where the fuck is he?” Embry growled. 

Impeccable timing Edward seemed to have. They heard the sound of the car pull up right outside Emily’s. Before Maisie could stop him, Embry stormed out of the house to confront Edward. 

“You bit her?” Embry yelled as he ran up to her boyfriend. 

When Embry said that, the rest of the pack got up. They all looked at Maisie and she knew they finally saw it too. They were all storming outside. Jacob was right on Embry’s heels but even her brother’s anger couldn’t compare to Embry when it came to his imprint. 

“You bit her?! You fucking touch her again and I’ll kill you.” 

“Embry, wait!” Maisie screamed as he turned into a giant wolf. 

He was snapping at Edward who stayed solely on defense. Edward wasn’t fighting and Maisie wasn’t sure if it was for her sake, not wanting to hurt her pack, or if it was another form of punishment for what he did to her. Maisie saw the opportunity when Embry stepped back a little, ready to ram Edward, to move into the space between them. That sent Edward into action as Embry circled around him. The rest of the pack watched with bated breath, they were ready to come to Embry’s defense if need be. 

“Maisie move. He’s pissed. He’s in too much rage, you could get hurt.” 

“No. Embry, I’m okay. He didn’t mean—”

Embry snapped, cutting her off. She realized she had said the wrong thing. Maisie should’ve lied. She and Edward should’ve discussed it before they left Isle Esme and come up with something. A rogue vampire would’ve been so easy to explain. She didn’t even think of it. 

“Maisie,” Edward whispered to her, he didn’t want to talk too loud knowing his very presence was setting everyone off. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“And what if you get hurt?”

“You and the baby are my top concern, I’ll be fine.” 

Edward cut himself off when he saw Maisie go wide-eyed. He thought she had already told the pack, that was the reason they were there after all. The rest of the pack couldn’t believe their ears. They didn’t hear Edward correctly, they couldn’t have. Embry had run around the back of the house to change back. 

“You got her pregnant too,” he yelled as he came back around. 

Maisie yelped in surprise as Embry’s fist connected with her boyfriend’s face. Edward took it surprisingly well, little cracks around his jaw quickly sealed themselves back up. 

“We didn’t know it could happen.” 

“How the hell did you not know?”

“Vampires can’t have kids, at least the women, reproductive organs… we figured it was the same for men…” Edward trailed off not really wanting to discuss the intimate details of the two of them. 

“So you’re not supposed to have kids and she winds up pregnant anyway… and you fucking bite her. Don’t think I forgot.” 

Maisie placed a hand on Embry’s bicep. He looked at her, his eyes softening when he did. She knew there was nothing she could say to make any of it better. It would take the pack a while to get over it and be comfortable with Edward again. They might never. But Maisie needed this conversation to reach some sort of civility. Embry growled as he saw Edward’s hand out of the corner of his eye reach for you. 

“Em. We need to leave, I have an appointment with Carlisle.”

“For the… baby?” 

The word didn’t sit right in his mouth. Only after Maisie nodded did Embry let Edward pull her to him. 

“If you ever bite her again, touch her—”

“I will personally drive myself here for you to bite my head off,” Edward cut him off. How ever pissed Embry was, Edward felt the same about himself. 

“Are you staying with them now?” Embry asked.

“I’m probably going to. Do you guys want to come over… for the appointment?” 

The wolves looked at each other and nodded. The leeches were the last people they wanted contact with but Maisie was still their pack member. Even if the others didn’t, Jacob and Embry were coming regardless. The rest of the pack said they would be at the Cullens’ in a minute while Maisie, Edward, Jacob, Bella, and Embry got into the car and headed over.


	21. Chapter 21

“You can hear two heartbeats.”

“I wasn’t lying, Rose.” 

Carlisle took Maisie to his office while everyone else waited in the living room. The pack stayed as close to the door as they possibly could. Esme offered food but no one accepted aside from Bella. The room was tense. Carlisle was having trouble with the ultrasound. He sighed, putting down the tools. 

“It can’t get through the embryonic sac. Everything else about you seems normal, I’m just worried that I won’t be able to monitor anything about your pregnancy. But Edward’s right, I can hear a heartbeat. Sounds strong.” 

Maisie hopped out of the chair and returned to the living room. Edward waited for her to cross over to him, not wanting to upset Embry more by reaching for her. Maisie sat down on his lap. Edward rubbed her shoulder. 

“Carlisle says the ultrasound can’t pick it up. But it sounds relatively healthy.” 

Seth cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. 

“So, have you thought about baby names?”

Maisie chuckled. Bless him for trying to alleviate the tension between everyone. The question seemed to have worked. The pack and the Cullens were now trying to help Maisie and Edward with baby names as if this was a normal affair. 

“Masen Ephraim. Boy or girl I’m naming the baby Masen Ephraim Cullen.” Maisie smiled at Edward who was a bit surprised. 

“Masen, that’s actually nice. Where’d you come up with that?” Jacob asked. He had settled into the couch and like Bella, began eating food. 

“It’s my name… my last name before I met Carlisle,” Edward whispered, not taking his eyes off you. 

A couple weeks had gone by and Maisie finally began to show. Actually, she really showed. There was no mistaking that she was pregnant. Maisie was taken completely off of patrol and now split her time between her house and the Cullens. Maisie and Edward spent Friday and the weekends at her house and the weekday at his so Carlisle could have an easier time monitoring her. 

Maisie woke up Monday morning and said goodbye to Billy before heading over with Edward to his house. Carlisle frowned when they walked into the house. Edward cocked his head immediately after hearing the thoughts of his adoptive father. 

“The heartbeat is faster. A little too fast…” 

She was immediately taken into the home office where Carlisle was surprised to see the ultrasound working. Well, partly working. It was hard to really make out anything clear but there was what appeared to be a normal looking outline of a baby. 

“I don’t think there’s any problem, so I can’t figure out why its heartbeat—”

“Her,” Edward said suddenly. 

Maisie and Carlisle both looked at him. 

“I can hear her thoughts. Masen says she’s a her.” 

“Can Masen hear us?”

“She says yes.” 

“Is she fine?” Carlisle asked. He took this opportunity to ask all the questions he could. 

But not every question could be answered. Masen was still a baby; there were still lots of words she didn’t know and hadn’t heard anyone say. There were also some things that she knew the word for but had never seen and therefore couldn’t explain. The one thing that was apparent was she had inherited Edward’s power. Of course, since she was still in Maisie's womb the only mind she could read was Maisie— the person she was connected to. 

“That’s how she knows things. She’s learning through your mind.” 

“The heartbeat?” 

“I don’t think that’s something the baby would know… Embry’s outside.” 

Maisie, Carlisle, and Edward went out to see Embry who was in wolf form. 

“He’s about to leave for patrol.”

“Ed, I have a mind-link too. You don’t need to translate.”

Edward shrugged sheepishly, he was so used to translating that it came automatically. 

**_I just wanted to stop by, you didn’t come over to Emily’s the whole weekend,_** Embry commented. 

“Yeah, just had some morning-sickness Em. Wasn’t feeling too good.”

_**But you’re okay right?** _

“Mmm hmm. I’m fine.” 

**_Alright. I’ll come by later. I’ve got to start patrol now._ **

“Wait.” Edward stopped Embry. He stepped a little closer. 

“I think Masen is just fine, the heartbeat matches Embry,” he said to Carlisle. 

Carlisle nodded. “I should’ve thought of that.”

When in wolf form, their heartbeats was faster than human. It never occurred to the rest of the Cullens who hadn’t heard a shifter’s heartbeat in a while because of the fact Maisie hadn’t phased for some time. It was clear now, their child was half vampire and half wolf, having inherited the gene. 

* * *

“What is she doing?” Sam asked Embry. 

Maisie was standing in Emily’s kitchen picking up random objects. Edward wasn’t with her. He was out with his siblings at Alice’s insistence to renovate Edward’s room in preparation for Masen who was due any day now. Alice was appalled they didn’t throw a baby shower so Edward had to go shopping with them whether he liked it or not. So Maisie was with the pack, who finally had a day off for all of them. 

“This is a cutting board, Masen. It’s made of wood like the trees. And this is zucchini. It’s green, do you remember the color green? Zucchini is different from the cucumber we had yesterday.” 

The pack stared, except Embry and Jacob. 

“Apparently Mase has the leech’s power. Mai Mai’s been explaining everything to her,” Jacob explained

“Will you please stop calling my boyfriend a leech?” Maisie called from the kitchen. “Masen’s technically half, she’s going to start to think you hate her.”

“My niece knows we love her. Don’t you Mase,” Jacob said as he strolled into the kitchen and patted her stomach. 

She rolled her eyes and went back to explaining things as she fixed herself a side salad to go with the meal Emily made. 

“So is the baby going to be a scary genius?” Seth asked. “Cause that would be kind of awesome.”

“Mmm, didn’t think of that. I’ve just been showing her everything,” Maisie said as she sat down at the table. 

Paul sighed, shaking his head. “So we’re gonna have a vampire wolf evil genius baby on our hands… I’m retiring from the supernatural world.” 

The pack laughed until Maisie clutched her stomach and felt the chair dampen. She looked up shocked, Embry was by her side in an instant. 

“My water just broke,” she whispered. 

Embry picked her up and turned to Jacob. “Call Dr. Cullen.”


	22. Chapter 22

The Cullens sped back to their house as soon as Jacob called. Carlisle cleared everyone out of his office and into the living room. The other Cullens aside from Esme left the house, knowing the bloody process of labor. 

“You and Em can stay if you want,” Maisie forced the words out as a rather painful contraction went through her. 

Edward stiffened up. He wanted nothing more to be there for her but his mind always wandered back to Isle Esme. There would be blood, Maisie's blood. 

“If I, what if—” Edward cut off as Embry grabbed his shoulder. 

“Whatever you think you’re gonna do, you won’t. Maisie needs you, wants you here.” 

Edward nodded deftly, he refused to open his mouth. You can’t bite if your mouth is closed to start, right? Both Edward and Embry did whatever Carlisle instructed to help Maisie through her labor. Carlisle has delivered many babies and maybe because Maisie was supernatural but he was honestly surprised that a vampire-werewolf baby would be just as simple as those other deliveries. 

Edward held his tongue as he read the thought between Maisie and Embry as the wolf held Masen. It was important to get it over with, if anyone in the pack imprinted they wanted to know sooner rather than later. But Edward said nothing as Embry left the room with Masen. He said nothing and just held his girlfriend's hand, breathing a sigh of relief when he heard nothing from the living room. 

After Maisie had rested and everything was cleaned up, the rest of the Cullens came back. Rosalie busted out the camera and forced Edward to lay next to Maisie on the small hospital bed as they both held Masen for the picture. The pack said their congrats and hesitantly slipped into the guest bedrooms the Cullens had at Maisie's request. 

As Maisie slept, Edward rocked Masen in his arms. The Cullens smiled as he entered the living room. For once not being able to sleep was a good thing. Masen would always have a pair of comfortable arms to rock her to sleep. Rosalie took Masen from him around 2 am so Edward could go hunt. He had a feeling that even if it wasn’t for him to go hunt, Rosalie would be stealing his daughter from him a lot.

* * *

Maisie lifted up Masen from the crib in Edward’s room. Maisie was fully recovered after a few weeks, grateful for enhanced healing. However, she definitely didn’t have the same muscle mass as before, she had slimmed down a lot due to the strain on the metabolism attempting to return to before the pregnancy. Maisie would probably have to work out in order to rebuild lost muscle, maybe she could ask Edward to workout with her. 

Maisie walked downstairs and strolled into the kitchen. Like always, she would say everything she was doing so Masen could learn new words. At first she wasn’t sure if she was truly teaching Masen anything considering the baby couldn’t talk back but Edward assured that Masen was understanding loud and clear. 

“And now we have a cream cheese bagel and your baby formula for breakfast,” Maisie said as she made her way to the bar stool at the island. 

Maisie didn’t get the chance to breastfeed Masen if she wanted too, for whatever reason she didn’t produce any milk. Carlisle surmised it to be the advanced healing because of the complications that come with a vampire baby no matter how smooth a labor. For all intents and purposes, it was like her body didn’t even know she had been pregnant. 

The school year had started and Maisie hadn’t taken the time to apply to any colleges physically. So Maisie opted to take college online, at least for year one, until she and Edward figured out what exactly they were going to do. After Maisie and Masen finished their breakfast she took Masen over to the living room bookshelf. 

“Pick something, Mase.” 

Her small fingers reached out for something so Maisie took it off the shelf. 

“Hmm, _Lord of the Flies_ … I don’t think so Mase. Ed, do you guys not have any other more children friendly books?”

The Cullens laughed. 

“We weren’t exactly expecting any children.”

Maisie frowned as she looked through the books for something she hadn’t read yet and that was somewhat appropriate. Masen whined, strings of “bah, bah bah” coming out of her mouth. 

“She wants to know why you can’t read that one,” Edward said. 

“You’re a baby. When you’re…” Maisie didn’t finish. The rest of the Cullens didn’t move. 

“I guess now’s the time to address the elephant in the room,” Emmett muttered. 

Maisie sighed as she reshelved _Lord of the Flies_. It was very apparent that Masen, while still looking like a baby, didn’t look like a newborn.

“It’s just a growth spurt,” she said, not believing in her own words. 

“She’s growing every day, Maisie,” Esme said carefully. “We just are wondering how much time—”

“How much time we have with Masen, I know.” 

Edward came off the couch and walked towards Maisie. Tears were rimming at her eyes and she was grateful as Embry strolled through the door right, a huge box of books in his hands. 

“Look, Masen. BriBri!” 

“I heard we were lacking in kiddie books. My cousin loved these when she was younger.” 

Embry held up one of the _Anne of Green Gables_ books. He walked further into the house and set the box down on the window seat. Embry took Masen out of Maisie's arms. 

“These are perfect Embry. I was really starting to think we’d have to reread _Pride and Prejudice_.”

“You read my goddaughter _Pride and Prejudice_?”

“Tried… she whines every time Mr. Collins is mentioned.”

Edward wiped at a stray tear. “Embry, can you read to Masen while we discuss some things? We have breakfast if you’re hungry.” 

“Yeah I can read to her.” 

Embry sat down with Masen as Edward led Maisie to Carlisle’s office, Carlisle following the two of them. Maisie broke down the minute Carlisle closed the door. Edward tried to console her as he let her cry in his arms. Carlisle didn’t have to be a mind-reader to understand the silent conversation between the two. It was a reality they had just now come to terms with. For whatever reason, Masen was getting older almost every single day and they didn’t know how long they would have with her. Maisie felt hopeless. Masen’s dad was an immortal, Masen's mom was practically an immortal herself. And here they both were with a baby aging, and aging fast.

“Oh, Charlie was looking for you the other day. Billy let it slip about Masen,” Embry said as they reentered the living room. 

“Shit, Uncle Charlie. How are we supposed to explain any of this? I don’t have any good lies.” 

“Jacob’s handling it now.”

Maisie sighed in relief. She might’ve been the favorite but Jacob and Charlie always had an easy relationship, this was probably better coming from his mouth. He was the smoother talker, better liar. 

* * *

“Jacob, you did WHAT?” everyone yelled. 

Embry spoke up from the kitchen where he was eating a lunch Esme prepared for him. “Man, when you said you were going to handle it. This isn’t what we thought.”

“I fixed our problem.”

“Our problem? If the Volturi find out a human—”

“I didn’t tell him about your little bloodsucking ordeal,” Jacob cut Edward off. “He only knows about us, the pack.” 

Edward’s jaw clenched. “And about Masen.”

“There wasn’t a good way to explain that.”

“Fine, it’s fine. At least we can invite Charlie over now instead of hiding out,” Maisie placed a hand on her boyfriend’s bicep. 

“About that… he’s um, he’s on his way right now.”

“Jake! What the hell!”

Maisie looked at her brother. Well, they were going to have to face Charlie eventually. Charlie came bounding into the Cullen house. He very eagerly embraced the other half of the Black siblings that he hadn't seen in a while. 

“Feels like forever since I’ve seen you kiddo… you um, so you turn into a giant animal too?”

Maisie laughed, nodding. “Yeah, Uncle Charlie. Wolf just like Jake.”

“Wonderful.” He coughed out. 

Edward came from upstairs with a finally-awake Masen. Charlie hesitantly stepped towards him, gently taking her from him. 

“Son,” he addressed Edward. “You don’t turn into a—”

“Ha, no Chief Swan.” 

“Oh good, one normal person.”

The supernatural all shared knowing smirks as Charlie turned his attention towards Masen instead. 

“And your daughter, and I was told this was a need-to-know.” Charlie held Masen out, she was looking like a one-year old and they all knew he knew she was born recently. “Yeah, definitely a need-to-know.” 

“Mase, this is Uncle Charlie,” Edward said as he poked the baby’s cheeks. 

Charlie smiled at her. It had been years since he held a baby but the feeling came natural. Charlie’s father instincts were about as strong as Rosalie and Esme’s motherly ones. Maisie and Edward could add him to the list of people constantly stealing their baby. 

“Little Black… Cullen?” he asked looking at Maisie. 

“Cullen.” She nodded. 

“Aren’t you a cutie, Little Cullen. Where’d you get these pretty eyes from?” 

Masen’s eyes were hard to miss. They were bright green, like Edward’s when he was human. They stood out against her copper-russet skin, just like Maisie's. It wasn’t hard to tell she was part Quileute. Masen giggled at Charlie. 

“Uncwe Bawi!” 

They all stood in shock. It wasn’t quite his name but it was clear what Masen meant. 

“Unbelievable. I read to her every day and her first words are Uncle Charlie…” Maisie joked as she tickled Masen who was giggling even harder.


	23. Chapter 23

Edward strolled into his room, babyless, while Maisie finishing an essay for one of her classes. This whole online college was actually kind of appealing to her, she was considering doing it for all four years. Edward sat down next to her, careful not to disturb as Maisie checked over it once more before hitting the submit button.

“Who has her now? Embry, Jacob, or Rose?” Maisie asked as she closed the laptop.

“Actually Charlie and Bella.”

Maisie raised an eyebrow causing Edward to laugh. Bella and Charlie were the last two people they had expected to grow so attached to Masen, yet somehow the two constantly found their child at the Swans’ residence. Aside from Maisie and Edward, Bella spent the most time with Masen— both with her dad and when she was with Jacob. Charlie had been surprisingly taking the whole “need-to-know” status very well. He even stopped commenting on Masen’s growth after the third visit, realizing she was definitely getting older every time he saw her.

“Bella said she’ll drop Masey at Billy’s tomorrow when she goes to see Jacob.”

“Before or after we get to the house.”

“Before. She’s headed early because she and Jacob are going on a date.”

“So we have a night off, what should we do?”

Edward pulled Maisie off the bed. “I would tell you to find an outfit but Alice will be here in 3… 2… 1.”

Alice bursted into Edward’s room. She gave him an excited to look to which he just nodded. Maisie wished she had some sort of powers, not enjoying the silent conversation between the two siblings. Alice bounced on her heels before pulling Maisie towards her room. When she was done working her magic, Maisie looked in the mirror. Alice truly had a gift and it wasn’t seeing the future. The girl was in a nice sundress, long sleeve top underneath with the cooling weather. Her hair and makeup were natural but still glamorous, kind of like when she went to the dance club with Edward during vacation. It took a few arguments but Alice finally relented and let Maisie wear booties instead of a straight stiletto heel.

Edward was dressed nicely as well when Maisie greeted him back at his room. She poked at the collar of his blazer, she wasn’t sure if she had ever seen him super dressed up before. Maisie linked her arm in his and the two started to walk towards the forest.

“Carlisle and Esme were asking about us the other day,” Edward said as he helped Maisie over a giant rock.

“Hmm?”

“When you were with the pack. They wanted to know if we were going to move out… of Forks.”

Maisie stopped and Edward looked down at her.

“They don’t think we can hide Masen from the small town for much longer. Carlisle thinks eventually Masey’s growing will stabilize and we need to think about what we’ll do when that happens.”

“I guess I didn’t think about that. La Push, Forks. It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“Well, we have time. I don’t know how much but we’ve got time.”

Maisie and Edward finally made it to their destination. A meadow of small purple flowers. Maisie sat down with him in the middle of the field. It was pleasant. Everything felt right. Edward chuckled slightly as Maisie frowned when he pulled her to her feet and moved from holding her.

“Why’d you mo— Edward?” the girl barely whispered as she watched him kneel down and pull out a small velvet box.

“I admit normally in my day we got married before the baby,” Edward awkwardly chuckled. “But I guess nothing about us is conventional anyway. We’ve had lots of ups and downs but I wouldn’t change any of it… well except for when I, um, bit you. I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

Edward was caught off guard when instead of answering him, Maisie launched herself at him instead. Both of them tumbled to the ground as Maisie kissed him, ‘yes’ mumbling from her mouth a thousand times. She admired the ring the whole time as Edward gave her a piggy-back ride back to the house, he was holding her shoes in his hands.

“I feel like you’re more in love with the ring than me,” he chuckled.

Maisie kissed him on the cheek. “I’m just thinking of putting it on the anklet, you know in case I need to shift.”

* * *

The phone was ringing off the hook, it was Billy Black. Maisie lazily unwrapped an arm from around Edward, who had stayed in bed with her the whole night.

“Dad, morning… you want us to come earlier?”

“Yeah, um Masen asked for you.”

Maisie sat up straight. “Asked?”

“Yeah, Mase Mase asked for you two and is… walking.”

“We’re on our way, dad.”

Maisie and Edward rushed to her house and they immediately saw what her dad was talking about. 

“Mommy! Daddy!” Masen yelled as she toddled towards the couple, struggling due to Maisie's giant t-shirt she was wearing. Maisie recognized the shirt from fifth grade summer camp. The baby they left with Bella and Charlie was now a toddler? And was walking?

Billy wheeled up behind her. “Your camp shirt was the only thing small enough Jacob and I could find. I don’t really have much of your toddler stuff.” 

“It’s cool. Thanks, dad,” Maisie said as she picked Masen up. 

The girl almost dropped her own child when she put a hand on Maisie's cheek and an image flashed into her mind of Billy wheeling behind a toddling Masen attempting to put Maisie's shirt on Masen before Jacob scooped her up and got her dressed. It looked like Masen’s mind powers worked two ways. Edward took the child from Maisie as she helped Billy pick up all of Masen’s stuff off of the floor. Masen showed him the same image she had shown her mother only instead of using her hand she pressed her forehead to his.

Bella and Jacob came back for lunch so Maisie stayed and cooked with Jake. Not needing to eat, Edward fed Masen and let his fiancee dig into the tacos. 

“Just like when you were kids,” Billy sighed as he swallowed his bite of food.

Jacob laughed. “Tacos were always our speciality, weren’t they?” 

The Black siblings smiled at each other across the table. 

“Taco!” Masen exclaimed. 

She couldn’t hold the taco in her hands, even after it was broken in half. Edward was taking tiny pieces of it for her. Even with the food in her mouth, she wouldn’t let go of the broken taco bits in her hands. If he really wanted to, Edward could’ve used his strength but he just let Masen have it. Maisie smirked as she ate. Masen was taking after her mother— she was definitely a daddy’s girl. 

Maisie already knew Edward would be wrapped around Masen's finger the same way Billy was wrapped around hers. Everyone laughed as Masen avoided Edward trying to feed her, only opening her mouth when her mother offered her the piece of taco. And that was when Jacob noticed it first. 

“Is that a ring?”

Maisie's first instinct was to hide it. Jacob was happy but confused. 

“When did this happen? Did you know this happened?” he asked their dad. 

“Edward came over last week to ask permission,” Billy answered simply. 

It was Maisie's turn to be surprised, she was positive that if Edward could blush he would. At least she didn’t have to think about how to break the news, it seemed her dad already knew. They said their goodbyes to Billy and walked with Jake and Bella towards Emily’s. Edward left to go hunting. Like Maisie expected, Masen was taken from her arms the moment she stepped into Emily’s house. Surprisingly it wasn’t Embry but Leah. 

“I thought you weren’t a baby person, Leah.” 

“I’m not. But toddlers, I can do no problem.” 

“Aunty Lele,” Masen giggled, her little hand tracing the tattoo on Leah’s biceps. Maisie watched as Leah’s face lit up. The rest of the pack looked the exact same as Masen named all of them. 

“So where’s the boyfriend?” Embry asked as Maisie plopped next to him on the couch. 

“The fiance’s out hunting,” she said, stretching herself across his lap. 

Embry looked at his friend confused. So did the rest of the pack. He grabbed Maisie's left hand ,flipping it back and forth staring at the ring. 

“God damn,” Paul whispered. “Leech finally manned up.” 

“Leech!” Masen repeated. 

Maisie sat up. 

“I told y’all to stop saying that word,” she scolded. “Look what you’ve done!” 

“Leech!” Masen repeated. Maisie groaned and flopped back down listening to Masen repeat the word over and over again with newfound fascination. 

“It’s not like she knows what it is.” 

At Quil’s words, Masen made biting motions. He reached out for Quil and Paul. Once she got her hands on both their faces, she showed them images of vampires— mainly the Cullens. Paul shook his head after getting over the initial shock of Masen’s new power. 

“Remember when I said evil genius baby,” he said as he got up to go to the kitchen. 

* * *

“Well, the ageing might be rapid but she’s average height for children her age,” Carlisle said as he wrote down Masen’s measurements. It was about to be Halloween in two weeks and the Cullens were all looking at a Masen that was five. 

Alice came in with multiple bags, shoving one in Maisie'a hand. “You’ll need it by next week.” 

“Next week?” she asked looking at what was clearly another set of clothes. 

“Vision,” Alice said simply as she took the rest of the clothes to Maisie and Edward’s room. 

The clothes weren’t for a five year old, they were for a seven year old. Maisie frowned. Masen tapped her mother's upper thigh. She looked up at Maisie with those bright green eyes that always made the young wolf smile. She could picture that same green on Edward, although she wouldn’t change his gold eyes for the world— not when those gold eyes were what brought him to her. 

“She wants to know what’s wrong?” Edward said. 

Masen glared at him before signing **‘what’s wrong?’** herself. A couple weeks ago, she stopped mimicking people. She only said maybe one word at a time, and it was usually just repeating what someone said. Carlisle said it might have been a form of selective mutism, due to her newfound powers leaving the poor baby overwhelmed. So Maisie and Edward taught her some sign language. Well, Edward taught both of them. Maisie had finished her last online class super quickly so she could dedicate all her time to trying to learn the signs that her child had picked up super quickly. 

And while Masen was happy and comfortable speaking to them in her own way, she didn’t take kindly to her dad translating all the time what was in her head. She didn’t take kindly to a lot of things nowadays. Masen was starting to get a short fuse— Maisie already had a feeling she knew what that meant. But was it not too soon?

 **Nothing, baby.** Maisie signed and then rubbed her head. 

Edward looked at her. Maisie had learned how to make her thoughts relatively fuzzy so Masen couldn’t read them when she needed to talk to Ed. He knew what the frown was. They thought the aging would stop by now. But it was just continuing. At this rate, Maisie was starting to wonder if Masen would even make it to their wedding date— which had been set for a little bit before Christmas. Edward knelt down to Masen’s level, grabbing her hand. Masen and him pressed their foreheads together and she eventually pulled away from Maisie's thigh and went with him to the couch where Jasper and Emmett were. 

True to Alice’s word, the next week rolled around and Masen was seven. Seven with an attitude. Maisie was currently making lunch at Emily’s. Everyone was watching the silent argument going on between Edward and Masen at the dining table. Two mind-readers made it very awkward. Masen wasn’t even signing, it was all mental between her and Edward. None of them knew what started it. 

The morning hadn’t gone the smoothest. Masen was agitated the moment she woke up. Refusing to speak to anyone, Edward finally translated some of the issues to Maisie only making her more upset. Maisie also knew that he definitely didn’t tell her everything Masen was thinking. There was no way it was just her senses being super sensitive that morning making her so grumpy and Maisie knew it. But that was all Edward would tell. The rest was currently becoming an ongoing battle between the two. 

“Okay, you two. Enough. Time to eat,” Maisie said as she was grabbing drinks out of the fridge. 

Edward growled slightly. “Listen to your mother.”

Masen growled back never breaking eye contact with Edward as she signed: **Not. Hungry.**

“You haven’t eaten all day, Mase… okay that’s it. Enough you two and I’m serious. Masen you will finish lunch and then we’re going to have a conversation like normal people.” 

“Masen Ephraim Cullen!” Edward exclaimed. 

Everyone knew whatever she was thinking was not nice if Edward used her full name. Masen stood up and stomped to the kitchen, grabbing the plate off of the counter and sitting back down at the table. Edward’s face softened slightly. 

“None of us think that,” Edward said as he opened the juice box for her. 

“You don’t have to tell everyone, but do you mind filling in your mother on what’s going on?” Maisie bent down so she was closer to Masen’s level. 

She wiped her hand on a napkin and put it to Maisie's cheek. Maisie realized what had her so upset. Masen woke up with her powers turned up to the max. It had already set her on edge that morning. And then when she was in Alice’s room getting dressed, at her Aunt’s insistence, she had overheard you and Edward talking about her and the entire situation. Masen knew she was a freak of nature and suddenly everything supernatural pissed her off that morning. That turned into a yelling match in her head when Edward caught her rolling her eyes at Rosalie saying how cute Masen looked that morning with her green eyes and he told her to stop. 

It only got worse when Jacob and Seth came over to drive them to La Push and she saw the rest of the Cullens slightly crinkle their noses at the initial onslaught of smell. She wondered how many times they must hide their cringes when she stepped into the room, after all she was half wolf wasn’t she. That didn’t sit well with Edward at all who was trying to comfort his child until a stray thought about Maisie and his time on Isle Esme after first finding out she was pregnant slipped out. He would’ve been lying if he said when he first heard he wanted the baby gone, not sure if the pregnancy could kill Maisie. That became fuel to Masen’s fire and the two had been at each other’s throats all morning. 

“Hey, look at me Mase… look at me. We don’t think any of that. Okay? Yeah this whole thing is a little weird but we love you. We all love you so much, every part.”

Masen nodded but Maisie could tell from body language she was still very upset. Hot tears ran down her face as she tried to go back to her food. Maisie and Edward looked at each other very unsure of what to do. Somehow, not knowing how to comfort Masen made the child more upset— not that anyone could blame her, she was just trying to process emotions. However, Emily’s plates didn’t get the memo and everyone jumped slightly as the plate broke under Masen’s grip. 

“I’m sorry,” she said to Emily as she cried harder. 

Before Emily could even comfort the child, Masen’s body twisted out of her chair and a small wolf appeared on the floor. Embry was on it quicker than anyone else had time to react. Just like when Maisie had turned, he brought a blanket for Masen and walked her through turning back. 

“Breathe with me, Mase Mase okay? Can you do that for BriBri?” Embry coaxed his goddaughter down from the mild panic attack she was having at the notion of turning. Embry was definitely the best when it came to walking new wolves through the process. 

Maisie clutched her child to her and wiped the tears on Masen's face. 

“You feel better, now?” 

Masen nodded. Maisie figured this was coming, her temperature and attitude had been running hot for a while. Just like Jacob’s before he turned. Edward knelt down to be at Masen's level. The two of them pressed their foreheads together, their way of communicating so much with no words. 

“Okay, let’s get the baby clothes,” Maisie said. 

“She says she’s not a baby,” Edward said laughing as Masen glared as best she could while their foreheads were still touching. “I know, my new little wolf.” 

He already knew she wouldn’t like him translating but she couldn’t exactly sign while clutching the blanket and she still wasn’t fully comfortable talking constantly. Ed picked her up and the little family walked to one of the spare rooms that constantly had clothes for the pack. While there wasn’t much for a child, Maisie found one of her larger crop tops and too small swim shorts. They still had to tie the shorts with a hair tie to get them to stay on but the top covered Masen and the shorts eventually stayed in place. 

Masen's eyes slowly started to close as Maise was dressing her. Another thing she expected, after her first shift Maise was tired as hell— if it wasn’t for having to save Edward, she would’ve dropped that night. Masen looked to Edward to pick her up. She was knocked out the minute her head hit his shoulder. The couple both looked at each other and laughed before making their way back into the living room with the others, Edward forced to stay on the couch until Masen would eventually wake up.


	24. Chapter 24

Maisie was getting Masen dressed in her Halloween costume, she had insisted on being a ringmaster after she and Rosalie watched The Greatest Showman. It had been a week since Masen had grown, she still looked seven. Carlisle thought she might be stabilizing. It was only a week but considering she grew almost every day, this was major progress. If she was aging like normal maybe they could give her somewhat of a normal life, enroll her in school. Masen sat on the kitchen counter while her mother adjusted her tophat. They both turned as Emmett’s booming laughter filled the house.

“Do I have to do this?” Edward asked, frowning as he came down the stairs dressed like Dracula. “Why do you get to be Cinderella?”

Masen hit the counter to get everyone’s attention. **Because mommy’s a princess.**

“What the kid said,” Maisie said as Edward approached to kiss her. “I think you look dashing.”

Edward rolled his eyes and helped Masen off of the counter. She grabbed her pumpkin shaped candy bag and the little family left the house. They trick-or-treated at La Push first and then Embry and Jake joined them for the drive to Forks. 

“Oh look the circus is in town!” Charlie said as he opened the door. 

“Trick-or-treat!” Masen yelled. She bounced up and down as Bella dropped some candy in the bag.

“So, Barnum. Where’s Bailey?” Charlie asked as he tapped the hat. 

“Huh?” Masen stared at him.

“Never mind,” Charlie sighed. 

They talked with the Swans a little bit before heading back home. Carlisle and Esme were outside with a couple of chocolate bars for Masen. They dropped them in her bucket when she got close. 

“I think you missed a house on your candy run,” Esme said. 

Masen looked at her grandparents and then at Maisie and Edward. Edward held a finger to his lips and she nodded. The rest of the Cullens had come outside. 

“Missed one? We hit up every house in Forks,” Maisie said. 

“Not every,” Alice said. “Follow me.”

Edward grabbed the bucket from Masen so Maisie could pick her up and they followed the Cullens into the woods. It wasn’t a very long walk. They were still on the Cullen side of the territory but close to one of the runoff branches of the large stream. Maisie looked in slight shock at the small cottage in the small clearing, the stream running behind it. 

“What is this?”

“We thought you guys should have your own space. You are a little family, now.”

Maisie excitedly grabbed the keys from Esme and opened the door to their new home. The house was still two stories despite being significantly smaller than the Cullens’ home. It looked more rustic, like Maisie's childhood home— or her and Jake’s garage. Speaking of garage, there was a small one off to the side, just big enough for Maisie and Edward’s two cars. Inside was everything she imagined. Not that Maisie was surprised, Alice knew her aesthetic and clearly put it throughout the house. The living room couches weren’t the biggest in order to accommodate the piano in the corner but everything was perfect to her. There were three bedrooms, the master and Masen’s room upstairs while the guest was on the first floor. 

“We put it down here in case your dad ever came over,” Alice explained. 

“I helped set up the wheelchair ramp outside,” Jacob perked up from behind everyone.

It was now the middle of November. Maisie was sitting in the living room planning the wedding with Edward when Embry and Masen walked into the house. They both had face paint on and were eating on something that couldn’t be identified. Masen, who still looked seven confirming the aging had finally stopped, gave Maisie and Edward a hug and kiss. Embry came up to give Maisie a hug before plopping down on the couch opposite. 

“How was the corn maze?” Maisie asked, looking up from the color swatches. 

“Only got lost twice.” Embry shrugged. 

Masen held up four fingers. 

“That’s not true Mase Mase. She’s seven, counting’s hard, you know.” 

“Four times,” Masen said. She was comfortable talking with Embry. 

Embry held up his hands in surrender. He looked at the small boxes on the coffee table. 

“Are these the cake samples?”

“Mm hmm. Try ‘em.”

He dipped a fork in the samples, sincerely trying them— although Maisie was sure he just wanted cake. Embry exaggerated the tasting. 

“Dark chocolate isn’t bad,” he said as he put the fork down. 

Maisie nodded. That was the flavor she was leaning towards as well. The preparations were almost done but Alice had given her and Edward a deadline to figure out what they wanted so she could order everything. And if they didn’t meet the deadline, the wedding would be left to the devices of Alice Cullen. She had dropped off Maisie's tailored dress the other day, which was now sitting in the guest bedroom closet in order to stay hidden from Edward. Tomorrow he was going for his tux while Maisie and the ladies went for bridesmaids dresses and Masen’s flower girl dress. 

“You staying over Em? I can put on dinner.”

“I’ll just find something in the fridge, keep planning.”

* * *

The elementary school at Forks was decorating for the holidays. Maisie unbuckled Masen from the backseat and she and Edward walked to the front office. The secretary directed them to the administrator’s office. 

“Mr. Cullen?” The principal looked up from her desk. “How is the family? Tell your father thanks again for the amazing work on the ACL surgery.” 

“Hello, Mrs. Matthews.” Edward shook the woman’s hand. “This is my fiancee, Ms. Maisie Black.”

Maisie shook Mrs. Matthews’ hand. She directed the family to sit down. Maisie didn’t miss the look that the principal gave as Masen crawled into Edward’s lap. 

“Fiancee?”

Edward already had the lie prepared. “Maisie’s family was in an unfortunate accident. This is Masen, her niece we adopted. We were looking to enroll our daughter for school, starting as soon as we could.”

Mrs. Matthews nodded in understanding. “It is easier if the parents are together. Masen… Black?” 

“Cullen,” Maisie answered sheepishly. 

“Mmm. Well, I commend you two for taking on a big responsibility at such a young age. Truly respectable. We’d be happy to accept Miss Cullen. Would you like a tour?” 

They followed the principal throughout the school. Masen’s hand slowly relaxed in Maisie's the more she saw. They stopped at a small classroom of first graders. 

“This would most likely be the class Miss Cullen would be placed in.” 

Mrs. Matthews knocked gently on the door. The teacher looked through the window in the door and nodded for them to come in. He walked over while the children were doing some art and crafts project related to the holidays. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Anthony. Mr. Anthony, the Cullens and their child, Masen.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Masen.” 

“Oh she has selective mutism,” Maisie said as Masen shook his hand but didn’t say a word. 

“That’s not a problem. It’s just a little quiet isn’t it?” He held out a fist for Masen to bump. 

The principal and teacher began going over things when Maisie watched a little girl pull Masen to her desk. She handed Masen a crayon and one of her coloring sheets. The other adults’ eyes followed Maisie's gaze. The girl was chattering constantly and while Masen was quiet, she was smiling. 

“She can stay for the day if you don’t mind,” Mr. Anthony said. “We could see it like a trial run for the class.”

“We didn’t pack her lunch.” 

“We always have a few snacks in the cupboard for the kids in case they forget.” 

Maisie turned to Edward. 

“I don’t see a problem with it… Masey,” he called out to the girl. “Will you be okay here? Do you want to stay?” 

**I like it here.** She signed, mainly for her mom already knowing Edward knew what she had to say. 

“Carpool starts at 3 and after school runs till 5:30. Although we do request that parents whose children aren’t actively signed-up to after school call to let us know they will be there for the day,” Mrs. Matthews explained as she escorted the two back to the school entrance.


	25. Chapter 25

Masen wasn’t meant to start school till the second semester but she liked it so much and Mr. Anthony didn’t mind taking in a new student early. Maisie was fixing Masen’s lunch box while Edward was teaching her a piano piece he had been working on for a few days now. 

Despite the large amounts of money built up over the years from Carlisle, Maisie and Edward wanted to try being financially independent— it was also something else to add to their attempt at a normal life. Being incredibly talented at music and English, Edward started writing books and was already publishing piano pieces under a pseudonym. Maisie finally picked a major, still choosing to do online school, in art history. She had also decided to work on bigger paintings and sell them, also under a pseudonym.

“Alright little wolf, you’ll be late for school if you don’t go now,” Edward said. 

Masen pressed her forehead to his and then jumped from the piano bench. She followed Maisie to the car. Maisie strapped her in and made their way to the school. The car had barely pulled up when Masen bolted out the car seeing her friend, a girl Maisie had learned was named Emma. She and Emma walked hand in hand into the school building. Maisie smiled but also felt her heart tug. 

If this was normal life, Masen and Emma would be best friends forever. But they wouldn’t be in Forks much longer. Edward looked eighteen and so did Maisie, people would only accept the lie up until twenty-one. Maybe twenty-three if they really wanted to push it. The family would have to move and Masen would have to start all over at a new school and they would have to do it again and again until she graduated. The only reprieve for their baby would be when she went off to college, she’d be able to stay where she wanted without anyone knowing about Maisie and Edward. 

After dropping Masen off, Maisie drove to La Push. She took off her engagement ring and finally placed it on her anklets. Maisie exited the car and phased. It felt pretty good. She hadn’t phased in a while and Sam had taken her off of patrol completely after Masen was born, stating Maisie had a family now and the pack could hold their own. Not that Maisie liked patrols to begin with but it was the only real reason to phase so she decided to voluntarily put herself on patrol when she had time. Today was her first day back and she was with Quil and Embry. 

* * *

Maisie smoothed out the wedding dress. The day was finally here. It had started to snow a little bit but nothing was sticking. Emmett set up a pavilion last minute and brought out a bunch of heaters for the outside wedding. It wasn’t a very big event yet Alice pulled out all the stops anyway. Maisie smiled at her dad as he prepared to escort her down the aisle. The guests cooed as Masen threw the petals down the aisle. Edward’s face lit up as he saw Maisie. For Maisie it was like all time had stopped. No one else was there but her and him. 

The reception was just as exciting. Because of the cold, any of the human guests with exception of Charlie and Bella left after the ceremony. Maisie was embarrassed as the pack made their speeches— whereas Jake and Leah were nice enough to keep it sweet, Seth, Embry, and Quil embarrassed the absolute shit out of her. She only felt better when Rosalie recounted many stories of Edward that Maisie had never heard before, the blonde sending winks her sister-in-law's way throughout the stories. 

“Maisie, Edward. Your cousins sent a wedding gift,” Carlisle approached the two after a slow dance. “They apologize for missing, Irina couldn’t because…”

Maisie nodded as Edward took the gift and set it down. Irina was still upset they had killed Laurent but in the pack’s defense, he was trying to attack Bella. Jacob cut in for a dance with Maisie and then Jasper, Emmett, and Embry. Each congratulated the couple. The party was over when the newlyweds saw Masen yawn for the fifth time in a span of four minutes and noticed somehow she was missing a shoe. Edward scooped her up and they made their way back home. 

Three suitcases were sitting in a corner of the living room when the family made it back to the tiny cottage. Because the school accepted Masen early, Maisie and Edward decided to push back their honeymoon to the school’s holiday vacation and make it a family event. 

Maisie put Masen to bed and after reading a chapter of a book, at her request, joined Edward downstairs. Sometimes he would stay in bed with Maisie, other times he softly played piano all night helping his wife and child sleep to the quiet notes of the keys. 

“I have something for you.”

“Hmm?” he kissed Maisie twice and she pulled out the small box. 

Edward opened it. He smiled taking the gold bracelet out of the box, it matched Maisie's anklet. She watched him put it on. 

“I told you I would get you something with the pack symbol on it.” 

“I love it. And you.”

“I love you too.” 

* * *

It had been so long since Maisie stepped foot in an elementary school in the midst of the holidays. There was a lot more construction paper and tinsel on the walls than she remembered. Masen was in the holiday program so Maisie and Edward were going to watch. It surprised them both at first, Masen still didn’t talk much but she was ready for the program and was even given lots of lines. 

It didn’t take long for the news of who Masen’s parents were to ring through the schools. The Cullens became very popular in the PTA, all the parents thought it was so commendable for them to adopt Maisie's niece and if she or Edward ever needed help to not hesitate and call them. The couple also didn’t miss the looks of pity from some of them, they thought it was such a shame that the two of them had to give up their youth to raise this child. If only any of them knew the truth. Maisie and Edward ended up sitting in the second row by Emma’s parents and watched the program. Masen and Emma both ran up to them after it ended. 

“Oh, you both looked so lovely in your little costumes. You did great.” 

The two girls smiled up at Maisie. Emma and Masen looked at each other before Masen nodded her head. 

“Um, Mrs. Cullen?” The girl’s voice was small but determined. “Can I come over to your house?” 

Maisie and Edward had to laugh. It was a classic tactic, get your friend to ask the question so the parents can’t say no. They would’ve said yes anyway if Masen had asked. They talked with Emma’s parents and agreed that Maisie would pick the two girls up from school on Monday, which was the last day before break, and Emma could sleepover that night. The children high-fived before Masen grabbed Maisie and Edward’s hands to walk back to the car.


	26. Chapter 26

Emma and Masen sat at the kitchen counter watching Edward cook dinner. He laughed into the pot of pasta, children’s thoughts were always so random and funny. Maisie was in the master bedroom on a conference call with a buyer for one of her portraits. After finalizing the buy, she joined everyone downstairs for dinner. 

Maisie enjoyed watching Masen play with her friend. It was such a simple, normal life. She and the girls went out to the circus in Seattle before they dropped Emma back to her house to parents that were very grateful to have a tired, ready to go to sleep child on their hands. 

The next day it had started to snow and Masen wanted to catch snowflakes. Embry agreed to come with them since he was already on patrol. Edward took the time to go hunting with his family. Masen was jumping around trying to catch the flakes. She finally caught one and went to show Embry, who was in wolf form. Maisie and Embry both laughed a little when Masen frowned once she realized the snowflake had melted in her hand before she reached them. Embry’s head shot up and Maisie looked in the direction he was. Up on the cliffs was a figure. 

“Mommy, who’s that?”

Maisie stepped a bit closer. “I think that’s your cousin from Denali? Irina!” 

Irina ran off. Maisie and Embry looked at each other. They decided to go back to the Cullen house and inform them. Carlisle came back from the phone. 

“Tanya convinced Irina to come reconcile with us.” 

“Well, it looks like she changed her mind,” Edward said. 

“She must’ve seen Embry and gotten overwhelmed. She’s family, she’ll come around.” 

Everyone watched as Maisie and Masen started to paint in the windowsill. Masen had Edward’s talent for playing the piano but she still enjoyed painting with her mother. Maisie would draw something on the canvas for her and Masen would color it in. Alice’s gasp brought everyone to her attention. 

* * *

“No, whatever you’re thinking honey, no," Edward said, reading his wife's thoughts. 

“What is she thinking of?” Embry asked. 

“Going to the Volturi.”

Embry was up in an instant. “No.”

“They think Masen’s an immortal child, we prove to them that she’s not," Maisie argued. 

“They’ll kill you.”

“I will go alone if none of you are willing, but it’s a risk I’m taking for our child.” 

* * *

Masen clung to Maisie as they all waited. Carlisle had invited the Volturi to come have a meeting. Everyone was against the idea but Maisie had held her own so much that they caved. Edward was first to cave when she had threatened to go to Italy. If they were going to meet the Volturi, it would be in his house and on his terms. The pack was in the kitchen, Masen was one of their own. 

Aro was not pleased at the scent of wolves but couldn’t do anything about it. They understood that technically this was wolf territory and since everyone was supernatural there was nothing they could argue about. Aro grabbed Edward’s hand to see the vision. He pulled back with a stunned look on his face.

"It's all true, remarkable."

“Where is the child?” Caius asked, wanting to hurry it up. 

“She’s upstairs.” 

“Bring her.”

Edward raced up to get Masen and brought her back down. Maisie pulled out her phone to show them photos of Masen’s growth. 

“You can see that she’s growing everyday. She was born not bitten.”

“I don—”

“Believe it.” a growl ripped from Maisie's throat. 

Aro knew when his welcome was overstayed, even if Caius didn’t. The Volturi left with no more than a good afternoon— except Marcus who very fondly left a note and parting gift. Marcus was the only vampire in the Volturi Maisie trusted. 

* * *

Maisie was sitting on the front porch with Embry. Edward was waiting in the car with Masen, the four of them were going on a vacation. It was supposed to be five but Embry’s boyfriend had work and would be meeting them on a different day, taking a plane instead of roadtripping with the small family.

“It’s a couple years away but you know we’ll have to move, you know.”

“MaiMai, what’s with the face?”

“I can’t ask you to leave the pack, Em.”

Maisie wouldn't do that to him, it would be selfish to ask him but they had to move. Masen would grow but she and Edward wouldn't, the town would notice. Embry threw an arm around Maisie's shoulder and pulled her in, resting his chin on the top of her head. 

“The pack will understand. You’re my imprint, I go where you go, okay? Now I think your husband and child are getting antsy about getting on the road.” 

Maisie laughed and took Embry’s hand to stand up. He threw his arm back around her as the two walked to the car. Edward smiled watching as they approached. There was always a possibility of trouble occurring especially with how unpredictable the Volturi could be and as much as he was worried about anything happening to him, he was glad Maisie and Masen had someone else there to pick up any pieces. 


End file.
